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The religious freedom situation in Nigeria is worsening despite recent governmental promises to address the issue, said a newly released report from the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).
A Country Update on Nigeria, issued by the USCIRF on Monday, July 21, details the violence faced by people of faith in recent months as well as the enforcement of blasphemy laws throughout the country — both violations of religious freedom, notes the agency.
“It is egregious that the Nigerian government continues to tolerate the relentless violence committed by bandit gangs against religious communities," Commissioner Stephen Schneck told Aleteia.
He continued, saying, "These persistent attacks must be urgently addressed. One way USCIRF believes this will be taken seriously is for Secretary [Marco] Rubio to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, or CPC, which USCIRF has recommended since 2009.”
The USCIRF issues an annual report on religious freedom around the world, plus "Country Update" reports.
USCIRF is a creation of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), a 1998 law that aims to promote religious freedom as a U.S. foreign policy priority.
In Nigeria, said the latest report, 12 state governments and the federal government enforce "blasphemy" laws, "prosecuting and imprisoning individuals perceived to have insulted religion." Four people, including two Islamic religious leaders, are currently jailed on blasphemy charges.
Additionally, the Nigerian government has done little to stop gang violence.
"This violence severely restricts religious practice and observance by Christians, Muslims, and traditional religious communities across many Nigerian states in the Middle Belt and in the northeast," said the report.
"Perpetrators of the violence have attacked religious sites including churches and mosques, kidnapped or killed religious leaders, and — in some cases — used violence or threats of violence against religious communities while demanding so-called taxes, invoking Shari’a law as justification."
In 2025, numerous priests, religious, and seminarians were kidnapped or killed in Nigeria.
Nigeria is about 50% Muslim and slightly under 50% Christian, with the rest of the population identifying as practicing a traditional Nigerian religion.
