US commences moves reclassify Nigeria as religion violating countries

United State (US) government has commenced moves to put Nigeria back in the list of countries that violate freedom of religion.

In 2021, the US government removed Nigeria from its list of countries that violated religious freedom against the recommendation of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

However, according to a report by Fox News, on Wednesday, a US representative for New Jersey’s fourth congressional district, Chris Smith, introduced a bipartisan resolution to add Nigeria to the state department’s annual list of countries that violate religious freedom on Tuesday.

The report further quoted the president and CEO of Global Christian Relief, David Curry, who spoke at the International Religious Freedom Summit on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., to have advocated the listing of Nigeria as a country of particular concern.

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Curry argued that the alleged abortion programme by the Nigerian military was carried out on victims without their consent and religious consideration.

He said, “Since 2013 the Nigerian military has run a secret mass abortion programme in the war against Boko Haram.

“A recent Reuters investigation revealed at least 10,000 pregnancies among women and girls ended after many had been kidnapped and raped.

“The army forced abortions on at least 10,000 women without their consent or consideration of their religious views after they had been kidnapped and raped by Boko Haram terrorists.

“Yet, rather than be intimidated into silence, 33 of these women spoke openly to journalists about these unspeakable, grotesque violations of their bodily autonomy and created international awareness of the situation.”

In addition, the report disclosed that a former Congressman, Frank Wolf, lamented that there was no action taken to help Christians in Nigeria.

Wolf stated that the “Bring Back Our Girls” movement was an effort to find the mostly Christian female students aged from 16 to 18 who were kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014.

“Does anyone remember hashtag BringBackOurGirls? Well, whatever happened, we’re all those guys who went on television and (posted) the hashtag… 50% of the girls did not return. I met with some of the Chibok parents. They wonder what in the name is the world doing.”

Fox News also quoted a State Department spokesperson to have said: “The secretary determined that the status of religious freedom in Nigeria did not meet the legal threshold to justify Nigeria’s designation as a country of particular concern or their inclusion on the Special Watch List. We continue to have concerns about religious freedom in Nigeria, which are well documented in the annual IRF report, and we will continue to press the government to address these.

“The State Department has redesignated Boko Haram and ISIS-WA as Entities of Particular Concern for religious freedom. It has also designated these entities Foreign Terrorist Organisations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.”