Several human rights organisations have asked U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over the murder of hundreds of Christians.
At least twenty-four interest organisations, which included religious groups led by Advancing American Freedom, Alliance Defending Freedom, the Hudson Institute, former Ambassador Sam Brownback and former defence and national security officials, called for action against Nigeria over the killings.
The groups recalled the suspected herdsmen attacks on Plateau communities during the yuletide. Over 150 were killed on Christmas Eve.
The push to list Nigeria as a CPC came after a catholic-inspired think tank group, Intersociety, claimed that Islamic militants have brutally murdered at least 52,250 Christians in the last 14 years.
Led by its director, Emeka Umeagbalasi, the human rights advocacy group claimed that over 500 Christians were killed last year in January alone. It accused the Nigerian government at various levels of complicity in the killings of the worshippers, predicting that the most populous African nation may be on the brink of a “religious war.”
On January 4, Mr Blinken announced that he would designate some countries, including Iran and Russia, as CPC; however, Nigeria, notable for religious crisis and killings, was left off the list.