Urges Nigerian gov’t to protect Christian communitiesSmith condemns latest deadly attacks on Christians in Nigeria

Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, today condemned two deadly attacks in Nigeria that reportedly killed more than 30 people on Sunday and at least 23-25 people on Tuesday . As reports of the attacks and casualty figures continue to emerge, Smith called upon the Nigerian government to take immediate action to protect vulnerable Christian communities and bring the perpetrators to justice. “Despite denials by Nigerian government actors, Christians continue to be slaughtered while Nigerian officials fail to provide adequate protection or hold the perpetrators accountable,” said Smith, who has chaired 13 congressional hearings on the religious persecution crisis in Nigeria. “Enough is enough. The Nigerian government must fulfill its most basic responsibility of protecting its citizens.” Smith joined Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Frank Garcia in strongly urging the Nigerian government “to meet their commitments to protect Christian communities and to hold perpetrators of violence accountable.” “The U.S. State Department's recent public message underscores the urgent need for concrete action—not more assurances—as deadly violence continues to devastate vulnerable communities,” continued Smith. “Instead of spending millions of dollars—$9 million, to be exact—in an attempt to improve its image in Washington, the Nigerian government should redirect those resources towards protecting its people and addressing this grave security crisis.” Earlier this year, Smith introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2026 ( HR 7457 ), which would require the U.S. Secretary of State to compile and submit to Congress a comprehensive report on U.S. efforts to address the ongoing religious persecution and mass atrocities in Nigeria. ###