Whether Its B’Haram, ISWAP or Fulani Militants, Nigerian Govt Must Disarm These Militias—US Lawmaker

According to a report by Leadership, on Wednesday December 3, 2025, the Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, Brian Mast, has described the violence against Christians in Nigeria as a deliberate campaign of religious cleansing.

He said it is not just local conflicts or disputes over land, as some people claim.

Mast said groups like Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, and radicalised Fulani militants are targeting Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.

He explained that their aim is to force Christians from their ancestral lands and spread a radical Islamist ideology.

He noted that similar tactics have already affected northern states, where strict blasphemy laws are used to oppress religious minorities.

According to Mast, these attacks are systematic and coordinated.

He stated that the violence goes beyond ordinary criminal activity or inter-communal clashes.

Mast expressed strong support for the Trump administration’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom.

This designation signals the severity of the crisis and the need for urgent action.

He urged the Nigerian government to take immediate measures to stop the violence.

Mast said authorities must disarm the armed militias responsible for attacks and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.

“Whether it is Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, or radicalised nomadic Fulani militants, the objective is to drive Christians out of their ancestral lands in the Middle Belt and impose a radical Islamist ideology, as has already happened across the northern states, where blasphemy laws are used to oppress.

We must demand that the Nigerian government disarm these militias, return displaced families to their homes, and bring the perpetrators to justice,” he said

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