Put Nigeria back on religious violator list- US commission

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom has asked that Nigeria be redesignated as a religious freedom violator.

The Commission has expressed its disappointment in the removal of Nigeria from the list of “Countries of Particular Concern for having engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.”

In a statement on Wednesday, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, had excluded Nigeria from the blacklist it was on in 2020, which still has Russia, China and eight other countries as religious violators.

The development comes amid Blinken’s visit to Kenya and his scheduled visit to Nigeria this week.

The USCIRF, which described itself as “an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad”, however said it Nigeria’s removal from the religious violators list is appalling and urge the state department to reconsider the matter.

Read also: US takes Nigeria off religious freedom blacklist

In a statement on Wednesday titled, ‘USCIRF Appalled at Administration’s Removal of Nigeria from List of Violators of Religious Freedom’, USCIRF Chair, Nadine Maenza, expressed disappointment over the development, urging the Secretary of State to reconsider its decision.

“USCIRF is disappointed that the State Department did not adopt our recommendations in designating the countries that are the worst violators of religious freedom.

“While the State Department took steps forward on some designations, USCIRF is especially displeased with the removal of Nigeria from its CPC designation, where it was rightfully placed last year, as well as the omission of India, Syria, and Vietnam. We urge the State Department to reconsider its designations based on facts presented in its own reporting,” he said.