US Considering Pentagon Engagement, Sanctions to Compel Nigeria to Tackle Christian Persecution

Christians gather for the crossover service held at Most Pure heart of Mary Catholic church in Ijebu Imushin, Nigeria, on Dec. 31, 2023. Samuel Alabi/AFP via Getty ImagesThe United States is considering sanctions or Pentagon engagement on counterterrorism as part of plans to compel the Nigerian government to do more to protect Christians from persecution, a State Department senior official said on Nov. 20.Jonathan Pratt, who leads the Bureau of African Affairs, outlined the plans in a statement to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in a hearing focused on President Donald Trump’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC), due to the widespread violence toward and alleged murder of Christians in the African nation.