Olasunmibo Aboluwade Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may have instructed the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, to head a high-powered delegation of federal lawmakers and senior military and security agency heads tasked with engaging the U.S. Congress over allegations of genocide against the Christian community in Nigeria.
According to sources close to the Presidency, the move stems from a resolution adopted by the 10th Senate on a motion introduced by Senator Ali Ndume, who is a former Chief Whip of the Chamber.
Ndume’s motion called for “putting the record straight” and urging the United States to refrain from sanctioning the country over the purported genocide.
Investigations by THISDAY confirm that the team is being coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser and is expected to travel to Washington from next week.
The sources said the delegation will present evidence to U.S. lawmakers to refute claims that the Nigerian State is engaged in a concerted, targeted campaign of genocide against Christians.
In recent weeks, a wave of statements by U.S. lawmakers and advocacy groups has placed Nigeria under intense international scrutiny.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has accused Nigeria of “mass murder” of Christians and introduced the “Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025” (S.2747) which would seek to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and impose sanctions on officials alleged to facilitate violence against Christians.
In response, the Nigerian Senate in early October rejected the narrative of “Christian genocide,” describing it as “false and dangerous”.
The Senate’s motion warned that Nigeria’s security challenges are multi-faceted-driven by terrorism, banditry, communal land disputes and herder-farmer conflicts, not by a state-sponsored initiative against a religious group.
Meanwhile, the federal government has repeatedly denied any policy of persecuting Christians.
In a recent foreign minister’s interview, Yusuf Tuggar argued that narratives of genocide are driven by resource-conflict distortions and external lobbying rather than an orchestrated effort by the State.
It is indisputable that Nigeria faces serious violence: attacks by the insurgent group Boko Haram and its splinter arms, herder–farmer clashes, communal conflicts in the north-central and north-western regions, and mass displacement of civilians.
According to the U.S.-based Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), from January 2020 to September 2025 there were over 11,800 recorded attacks on civilians in Nigeria; within those, 385 attacks where the Christian identity of victims was a factor, resulting in 317 deaths. In the same period, 196 attacks targeting Muslims saw 417 deaths.
The Nigerian government considers the upcoming delegation’s mission to Washington as critical for defending the country’s international reputation, safeguarding bilateral relations with the United States, and averting potential sanctions that could affect security cooperation and financing.
On the U.S. side, passage of the proposed bill would mark a major shift: Nigeria could re-enter the list of “Countries of Particular Concern,” triggering U.S. arms embargoes, visa restrictions and other sanctions, a path the government is keen to avoid.
As the delegation prepares to depart, observers say it will need to present credible evidence, transparent statistics and a cogent policy framework on religious freedom and security reform.
Equally, Nigeria will face pressure to show concrete progress in reducing violence, prosecuting perpetrators, and addressing root causes such as land disputes, poverty and climate-driven migration.
