Biden Administration turns blind eye to religious freedom violations in Nigeria

WASHINGTON DC (5 January 2024) – The U.S. State Department yesterday released its annual religious freedom watchlist, failing to reinstate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) on its list of worst religious freedom offenders. Human rights advocates, including ADF International, have called for the country to be reinstated to the CPC list, which allows for greater diplomatic pressure and potential sanctions to encourage essential protections for religious freedom.  

The failure of the State Department to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern comes just after approximately 200 Christians were murdered for their faith in Plateau State, Nigeria, over Christmas. 

“We are disappointed and deeply concerned that the Biden Administration again has failed to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for its egregious violations of religious freedom,” said Sean Nelson, Legal Counsel, Global Religious Freedom for ADF International. 

“The United States should increase pressure on Nigeria for the blatant violations of religious freedom occurring in the country. More Christians are being killed in Nigeria for their faith than in all other countries combined. The U.S. government should do everything within its power to support ending the persecution and bringing about the peaceful coexistence of faith communities in Nigeria. Since it is clear that the State Department will not take significant action over the terrible religious freedom conditions in Nigeria, it is vital that Congress makes its voice heard,” added Nelson. 

Last month, ADF International joined other religious freedom experts and organizations in a letter calling on Congress to take greater actions to protect religious freedom in Nigeria, which was entered into the Congressional Record by Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ). 

Blasphemy Law in Nigeria   

ADF International is supporting the defence of Rhoda Jatau, a Christian and mother of five from Nigeria. Jatau, who was recently granted bail, had been imprisoned since May 2022 for allegedly sharing a video on WhatsApp condemning the lynching of Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu, a Nigerian university student who was murdered and set on fire by a mob of her classmates in May 2022 for sharing her Christian faith. She is currently awaiting her trial. 

The cases of Rhoda Jatau and Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu are but two examples of the widespread violence against religious minorities, and especially Christians, in Northern Nigeria.    

Together with other religious minorities in Nigeria, the persecution of Christians in Nigeria is especially severe. Worldwide, over 5,500 Christians were killed for their faith last year. Of those, 90% were Nigerian.     

The criminalisation of blasphemy in Nigeria carries with it dangerous implications for the country as a whole. In a country of more than 200 million, split nearly evenly between Christians and Muslims, blasphemy laws are a significant driver of societal tensions. These laws punish the innocent for expressing their beliefs, silence people from sharing their faith, and perpetuate societal violence. Blasphemy laws throughout Nigeria encourage brutal mob violence and inflict severe harm on minority Muslims, Christian converts, and others.   

ADF International also is supporting the legal defence of Nigerian musician Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a Sufi Muslim who was sentenced to death by hanging for sharing song lyrics that were deemed “blasphemous” on WhatsApp. With the support of ADF International, Yahaya is appealing his case to the Supreme Court of Nigeria in the hopes of overturning the death penalty blasphemy laws in Nigeria. Yahaya, imprisoned for over three and a half years, is awaiting his appeal.  

“It is urgent that the U.S. government and other advocates of religious freedom make use of every tool at their disposal to advocate for justice for victims of religiously-motivated violence, the release of religious prisoners of conscience, the repeal of blasphemy laws and greater respect for religious freedom in Nigeria,” added Nelson.  

Repeated efforts for justice  

ADF International, together with other human rights organizations and experts, has long urged the State Department to put Nigeria back on the CPC list.  

The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has called the removal of Nigeria’s CPC designation by the State Department “appalling” and “inexplicable”. Furthermore, the USCIRF recommended the State Department place Nigeria on the CPC list in its most recent Annual Report. 

The State Department listed Burma, the People’s Republic of China, Cuba, the DPRK, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan as Countries of Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated particularly severe violations of religious freedom. In addition, the State Department designated Algeria, Azerbaijan, the Central African Republic, Comoros, and Vietnam as Special Watch List countries for engaging in or tolerating severe violations of religious freedom.