The declaration of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” by the United States, following allegations of systematic genocide against Christians in parts of the country could have been avoided had the special committees set up by the Senate to interface with the US Senate and Congress on the issue acted swiftly and decisively.

President Donald Trump of the United States had last Friday designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” warning that there will be consequences if the Nigerian government does not take urgent steps to halt the genocide, said to have been perpetrated by radical Islamists operating in the country. In a post on Truth Social media, Trump stated: “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘country of particular concern.’

“But that is the least of it. When Christians, or any such group, are slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 worldwide), something must be done! “I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter and report back to me.” Prior to this declaration, the Senate had set up a 12- man Adhoc Committee to interface with US lawmakers and explore ways of averting the coming danger.

Members of the committee include Abubakar Bello (APC, Niger North), Adamu Ailero (APC, Kebbi Central), Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra Central), Aneikan Bassey (PDP, Akwa Ibom North-East), Niyi Ad- egbonmire (APC, Ondo Central) and Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central). Others are: Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC, CrossRiver South), Adetokunbo Abiru (APC, Lagos East), Tony Nwoye (LP, Anambra North), Titus Zam (APC, Benue North-west), Tahir Munguno (APC, Borno North) and Abdulhamid Madori (Jigawa North-east).

The resolution to set up the Committee came on the heels of a motion titled: “Urgent Need to Correct Misconceptions Regarding the Purported ‘Christian Genocide’ Narrative in Nigeria and the International Community”. The motion sponsored by Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South) and 20 others was prompted by reports that the US Senate was working on a bill that seeks to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.

The 12-member ad-hoc committee was mandated to investigate and address the international allegations of state-backed persecution and potential genocide, particularly targeting Christians in Nigeria. The committee is specifically tasked with the responsibility of gardening verifiable facts and statistics to counter extremist propaganda and prevent sectarian division in the country.

It was expected to draft a comprehensive position paper to articulate Nigeria’s official legislative stance on the controversial issue. Above all, the committee was mandated to interfacing with US lawmakers and other international bodies to correct the perception that the country’s security challenges are “genocide”. The House of Represen- tatives also took a similar resolution, directing a coordinated diplomatic response to address the issue with the US Senate and defend Nigeria’s integrity.

However, it would appear that after the razzmatazz of the motion condemning the looming action from the US, neither the Senate Committee nor the House of Representatives took the necessary actions expected of them.

The motion was debated on Thursday, October 9, 2025 and the Senate’s committee set up a few days later. But as at last week, members of the committee were reportedly still planning to travel to the US to initiate engagements with the US lawmakers.

They were expected to be joined by some top government officials including senior military and security agency officials on the trip. Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Yemi Adaramodu could not be reached to explain the circumstances surrounding the delay or inaction of the Committee. Several calls to his phone and a message to his WhatsApp box were not responded to as at press time.

But reacting to the development, former Senate Leader, Mohammed Ali Ndume blamed the Senate and the Executive for what he described as complacency in addressing the concerns raised earlier by US lawmakers before Trump’s declaration last Friday.

Ndume urged the Tinubu administration to urgently engage the US government, by presenting verified data on terrorist activities in Nigeria to clarify that the violence is not targeted at any faith group. “We should engage the American government by presenting facts and figures. They need to hear the other side of the story from both the Nigerian government and the Muslim community. Muslims have been killed too.

The genocide isn’t against Christians alone but Nigerians in general. “I had alerted the government; I even moved a motion. Nigeria is a sovereign state; it’s not about what the United States can do to us, but the misconception and ripple effects of classifying us as a country of concern,” Ndume said. Ndume further advised the Federal Government to engage seasoned diplomats from Nigeria in any dialogue with Washington to ensure that Nigeria is able to change the negative perceptions before things get out of hand.