US Announces Visa Ban on Nigerian Officials, Others Funding Religious Violence
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced that the United States has imposed visa restrictions on individuals involved in religious persecution in Nigeria
- The policy was applied to Nigerian officials and other actors who were accused of targeting people for their religious beliefs
- The announcement came after weeks of US's relentless pressure on Nigerian government to combat bandits attack against Christians
The United States government has announced new visa restrictions targeting individuals accused of violating religious freedom in Nigeria and other countries.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a post on his official X account on Wednesday, December 3, said the measure would apply to any person who “knowingly direct, authorize, fund, support, or carry out violations of religious freedom,” adding that the action responded to growing reports of violence against Christian communities.
Source: UGC
Rubio described the policy as part of a broader push by the State Department to address what Washington considers a pattern of persecution in several regions.
His statement arrived as Congress deepens its scrutiny of the crisis in Nigeria.
US lawmakers outline 7-point action plan
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Growing concern over the widening wave of attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria drew American lawmakers, diplomats and foreign policy experts to a joint congressional briefing in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, December 2, where they examined the scale of the violence and outlined steps they believe the United States must take.
The session took place after President Donald Trump ordered a formal review into what he described as the “slaughter of Christians” and directed Congress to produce a comprehensive report, Vanguard reported.
Source: Getty Images
Speakers at the hearing argued that the long-running crisis could no longer be framed as routine clashes or competition for land.
They said the pattern of killings, the regions affected and the identity of the victims showed clear signs of targeted persecution that had continued because perpetrators faced no consequences.
Notable among the seven-point action plan is lawmakers' demand for justice and disarmament.
Rep. Brian Mast, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, presented a stark view of the armed groups driving the violence. He argued that Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province and radicalized Fulani militants shared the goal of forcing Christians from ancestral territories to impose an extremist ideological system.
Mast urged the Nigerian government to take immediate action. He called for the disarmament of the militias. He insisted that displaced families be returned home. He demanded that those responsible for attacks be prosecuted.
Push for accountability and firmer US action
Rep. Chris Smith, who leads the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, described Nigeria as the “ground zero of religious violence.” He stated that the Nigerian government had a constitutional responsibility to protect its citizens and argued that it had fallen short of this duty.
He said he was confident the United States would “hold the Nigerian government accountable for its complicity in the rampant religious persecution” under President Trump’s direction. He warned that delay would cost more lives.
'US pursuing personal agenda' – Dambazau
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Lieutenant-General Abdulrahman Dambazau, former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Nigeria, said the US might be preparing to set up a military base in Nigeria.
Dambazau shared his thoughts at the seventh annual public lecture of the Just Friends Club of Nigeria in Abuja while addressing his country’s security challenges.
Source: Legit.ng
