Bishop Anagbe Calls for Concrete US Action, Sanctions Following Nigeria’s CPC Redesignation

Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi has urged the United States government to support its renewed designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) with definitive, enforceable measures.

Testifying before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa on Thursday, November 20, which is reviewing President Donald Trump’s decision to reinstate the CPC classification, Bishop Anagbe thanked the former President and lawmakers.

However, he stressed that the designation “must be backed by serious action,” specifically recommending utilizing the Magnitsky Act to impose sanctions on Nigerian government officials and others who “tolerat[e] or condon[e] Islamic violence” and tying U.S. security and humanitarian support to demonstrable improvements in the security situation on the ground

The Bishop emphasized the need to expand humanitarian aid for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), demanding that they be able to return to their ancestral homes with security guarantees from the Nigerian Government. He also called for support to rebuild IDPs’ livelihoods and access to basic services like education and sanitation.

Anagbe stressed the vital importance of supporting the Nigerian Religious Freedom Accountability Act to ensure accountability, stating that “impunity fuels the violence.” He recounted the profound suffering of Christian communities in Benue State, noting that a priest he knows “cannot walk” after surviving an attack, and accused the Nigerian federal government of minimizing death tolls and abandoning survivors.

While acknowledging that the CPC classification brought “joy, hope and spiritual resilience,” he insisted it cannot resolve the crisis alone. He demanded that the government must stop the killings, regardless of the victims, and urged the U.S. to use its influence to enact change, recognizing America’s “unique role in defending religious freedom globally.”

The controversy stems from President Donald Trump’s decision on October 31, 2025, to reinstate Nigeria on the CPC list, citing alleged systematic persecution of Christians. Trump later confirmed that military options were being considered.

The Nigerian government has strongly refuted the claims. President Bola Tinubu asserted that the characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant “does not reflect our reality” and that the country is a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.

American rapper Nicki Minaj also commented on the issue at a U.S. Mission to the United Nations event, advocating for unity and stating, “No group should ever be attacked because of its faith.”

Nigeria was initially designated a CPC in 2020 under Trump but was subsequently removed by President Joe Biden shortly after he assumed office.