US Congressman Bill Huizenga has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the rising insecurity in Nigeria, accusing the government of failing to take sufficient action to curb the violence.
Speaking on Thursday before the US House Subcommittee on Africa during a review of Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), Huizenga faulted Nigeria’s delegation for allegedly downplaying the security crisis.
He said Christians, moderate Muslims, and other citizens continued to face attacks from radicalised groups, yet the Nigerian government was “sitting back” and failing to respond robustly.
“I was recently interviewed by Nigerian television, and they asked if the Tinubu government is doing enough. I had to answer, ‘No, they are not,’” Huizenga told the panel. He also criticised Nigerian officials for offering what he described as “excuses” for the ongoing violence.
The US lawmaker further accused sections of the media and some members of Congress of minimising the scale of killings in Nigeria. Citing the 2023 Christmas Eve attack that claimed about 200 lives, he argued that the security situation had not improved.
Huizenga also questioned the pattern of religiously targeted killings in the country, asking why attacks by radical Islamist groups on Christian communities were not being adequately addressed.
Thursday’s hearing also featured submissions from US State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders. It followed US President Donald Trump’s decision on 31 October 2025 to reinstate Nigeria on the CPC list, citing alleged persecution of Christians and indicating that military options were under review.
The Nigerian government has rejected the allegation, with President Tinubu insisting that Nigeria remains a democracy committed to religious freedom. He said the characterisation of the country as intolerant “does not reflect our reality.”
Nigeria was first designated a CPC in 2020 under former President Trump but was removed from the list by President Joe Biden shortly after assuming office.
