At NISO Stakeholders Meeting, FG Vows Estimated Billing to End in 3 Years

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November 20, 2025
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Adelabu says WAPP alignment will strengthen nations power grid Assures synchronisation wont leave Nigeria stranded

•Reiterates $2bn fresh investment attracted under Tinubu

Mohammed declares NISO will maintain neutrality in all market decisions

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The federal government yesterday pledged to end the problematic estimated electricity billing in the country in the next three to five years, a move that could considerably raise liquidity and restore confidence in the nations power sector.

Speaking at the maiden Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) Stakeholders Engagement in Abuja, the Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, stated that the government has already mobilised N700 billion funding to implement the Presidential Metering Initiative (PMI), aimed at tackling the sectors long-standing metering gap.

Besides, the minister in his goodwill message at the event, stated that aside from the N700 billion, the World Banks Distribution Sector Recovery Programme (DISREP) fund of $500 million is complementing financing, adding 3.45 million meters to the sector, while procurement has commenced.

We believe that with the implementation of this Presidential Metering Initiative, the (metering) gap will soon be a thing of the past, and we will say goodbye to estimated billing. And were not stopping there. This initiative is also complemented by the World Bank Distribution Sector Recovery Programme Fund of $500 million, which is also adding 3.45 million meters to the sector.

The procurement of these meters are well-documented. Theyve been delivered, and a lot of them have been installed. So within the next three to five years, we will say goodbye to no meter and estimated billing. This has a lot of impact on the liquidity and sustainability of the power sector.

It will also attract investors, and they will be able to see a line-of-sight that when they bring money to the sector, they can easily recover the capital or principal and also make some reasonable returns. And I believe that reliability and the sustainability of power supply will be assured in Nigeria and across the border, he assured.

The theme of the maiden event was: Building a Resilient and Competitive Electricity Market The Role of NISO.

THISDAY recalls that the total number of metered customers in Nigeria rose to 6,579,818 in August this year, improving the metering rate nationwide to 55.01 per cent, according to data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

While total active customers in the power sector increased from 11,897,246 in July to 11,960,101 in August, it also reinforced the scale of the metering challenge, as just over 55 per cent of electricity consumers are currently metered, leaving roughly 45 per cent still subject to estimated billing.

Separately, in a press briefing, Adelabu stated that the recent integration of Nigerias power grid with those of 15 West African countries now places Nigeria at the centre of a modern operating environment where electricity networks no longer function in isolation but as interdependent components of a shared regional framework.

Once permanent synchronisation is achieved, the minister explained that Nigeria will operate under a stronger, more resilient system, benefiting from cross-border support that enhances grid stability, reduces the risk of system disturbances, and improves the overall reliability of electricity supply.

By becoming part of a larger synchronous area, he noted that Nigeria will be able to rely on regional support during periods of supply shortfall, while also strengthening neighbouring networks when required.

The impact of this achievement, he said, is already evident in several critical areas, as it strengthens confidence in Nigerias power system, stressing that despite several challenges, Nigeria has the technical competence, engineering capacity, and institutional discipline required to operate at global standards.

According to him, the synchronisation positions the country as a credible partner for cross-border energy exchange and a reliable participant in the West African Electricity Market under the West African Power Pool (WAPP).

At the NISO engagement, Adelabu listed major milestones under the Bola Tinubu administration as: The centralisation and liberalisation of the sector which has resulted in the activation of 15 state electricity markets; development of a National Integrated Electricity Policy after 24 years and attraction of over $2 billion in fresh investments into the sector to further extend electricity access in the country.

Furthermore, he reiterated the commencement of the process to transition the industry towards full commercialisation which increased the sectors revenue by 70 per cent in 2024 and reduced government liability in the sector by N700 billion.

The increase in the countrys installed capacity for energy generation from 13GW to 14GW and the attainment of an all-time generation peak of 5,801.44 MW and a maximum daily energy record of 128,370.75 MWh on March 4, 2025, Adelabu stressed, are also key achievements under the current administration.

On the WAPP system, the minister stated that it represents the first time in history that Nigeria has operated in a unified, stable, and fully harmonised configuration with the rest of the sub-region.

While this is not yet a permanent synchronisation, the successful test clearly demonstrates that regional technical alignment is feasible and marks a major step toward eventual full integration.

The synchronisation exercise, conducted between 05:04 a.m. and 09:04 a.m., involved the Nigerian grid which includes Niger Republic and parts of Benin and Togo and the rest of West Africas interconnected systems covering Ghana, Côte dIvoire, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Mali.

For four uninterrupted hours, power flowed seamlessly across national borders, operating at a single stable frequency and proving that West Africa is now technically capable of functioning as a unified power bloc. This achievement ranks among the most significant milestones in the history of WAPP, he stated.

The successful synchronisation test, he explained, shows that, despite these challenges, Nigeria has the technical competence, engineering capacity, and institutional discipline required to operate at global standards.

The benefits of synchronisation with other WAPP countries would extend directly to the Nigerian people. A more stable grid improves the performance of essential services such as hospitals, water supply, transport systems, digital infrastructure, and public institutions.

As ongoing transmission expansion projects including the North-Core line, the Ajegunle 330 kV Substation, the KadunaKano transmission upgrades, and the GwagwaladaGurara connection are completed, synchronisation will help deliver more reliable power to homes and industries nationwide. While expectations must remain realistic, this achievement provides the structural foundation for the improvements Nigerians have long awaited, he stated.

In the same vein, Adelabu dismissed concerns that Nigerias generation companies would simply export all their supply since its more profitable to do so, stressing that the domestic market must be supplied first before remaining megawatts will be sold to regional markets.

In his intervention, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of NISO, Bello Mohammed, stated that engagement was a significant milestone in NISOs operational takeoff as an independent, neutral, and transparent system and market operator.

As defined under the NERC Order establishing the Independent System Operator, NISO, he said, carries the mandate to ensure open, non-discriminatory access to the transmission system; to coordinate generation and system operations in a transparent manner; to administer the electricity market; and to ensure fairness, neutrality and accountability in all market interactions.

Put simply, NISO is the referee that ensures everyone plays by the rules and that the rules themselves support a competitive market where efficiencies matter, investments are protected, and consumer welfare is the ultimate goal.

A truly competitive and investor-friendly electricity market rests on operational discipline, transparent governance, and strict adherence to the Market Rules, Grid Code, Metering Code, and other regulatory instruments. These principles lie at the foundation of NISOs mandate.

As we gather here today, we operate in a power sector undergoing rapid transformation – driven by decentralisation, state electricity markets, technological shifts, and increasing expectations from investors and consumers alike. These developments demand that NISO steps forward as a credible, impartial, and competent operator that ensures fairness, reliability, and operational excellence in both the grid and the market, he stated.

Others who spoke at the event were the Chairman, Board of Directors NISO, Dr. Adesegun Akin-Olugbde, who was represented; Vice Chairman of NERC, represented by a Deputy Director, Friday Sule; Director General, BPE, Mr. Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, who was represented; the MD/CEO of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Sule A Abdulaziz; Executive, among others.

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Nnamdi Kanu’s Terrorism Trial Ends After 10 Years, Bags Life Imprisonment Verdict

•To be held in protective custody

•Abaribe: His life sentence a preconceived plot against the S’east

•Army dismisses fake ‘sit-at-home’ order, assures South-east of full security

Alex Enumah, Sunday Aborisade and Linus Aleke in Abuja

The terrorism trial of leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, at the Federal High Court, Abuja, came to an end yesterday after 10 years, with the court finally convicting him on all seven count amended charges.

The court subsequently sentenced him to life imprisonment for committing acts of terrorism against Nigeria and the Nigerian people.

The pro-Biafran was first arrested in Lagos in 2015 and subsequently arraigned before a Magistrate Court in Abuja, before his re-arraignment at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The case went back and forth and was tried by four different judges of the Federal High Court, before its conclusion yesterday by Justice James Omotosho.

The trial was also stalled for about four years, when Kanu jumped bail and fled the country, following invasion of his family house in Abia State, by military personnel in 2017. He was rearrested in Kenya in 2021 and brought back to continue his trial.

In 2022, then trial judge, Justice Binta Nyako, had dismissed eight out of the 15 counts and ordered him to open his defence in the remaining seven count

The case also went all the way to the Supreme Court in 2023 before it was returned to the trial court.

Delivering judgement in the suit, yesterday, Omotosho found the defendant guilty on all the seven counts.

The judge held that the prosecution was able to established the ingredients of the charge against the IPOB leader.

The federal government had called five witnesses and tendered bundles of documentary and video evidences to prove that Kanu committed acts of terrorism through his broadcast on social media platforms, which led to the deaths of many Nigerians in the South-east.

The videos included several broadcast of the Biafra nation agitator issuing various threats to Nigerians, including the enforcement of sit-at-home orders to residents of the South-east region.

Other video evidence included occasions where the IPOB leader described Nigeria as a zoo, issued threats against security personnel as well as threatened the destruction of public infrastructure, including banks, schools and police stations.

However, Kanu failed to open his defence in the seven count charge against him, resulting in the court foreclosing him and adjourning to November 20, for judgement.

Delivering judgement, Omotosho stated that facts not controverted were deemed admitted, and subsequently found him guilty in count one, which bordered on committing Acts of Terrorism against the Federal Republic of Nigeria, by making broadcast with intention to intimidate the population.

The judge cited and quoted Kanu in some of his broadcast as saying Somalia would be a small thing compared to what would happen to Nigeria, if they failed to give them Biafra.

The court also cited another instance where Kanu had threatened that, “in the next two weeks, the slaughter will begin to happen… We are ready to die than be slaves… The army of Nigeria will die in Biafra land,” among others.

According to Omotosho, all the above scenario which were not controverted by the defendant amounted to acts of terrorism against Nigeria and punishable under the Terrorism Prevention Act.

Omotosho also found Kanu guilty on count two, which bordered on making broadcast with intention to threaten members of the public with sit-at-home, especially in the five South-east states.

According to the judge, prosecution witnesses testified that due to Kanu’s threat of violence many banks, markets and churches were grounded.

He quoted the defendant as issuing a threat in his broadcast of May 30, 2021, wherein Kanu said, “tomorrow…there is complete lockdown… nobody should be seen outside tomorrow…if you want to be alive don’t come out tomorrow…we will burn you inside that shop.”

The judge, in holding that the statement Kanu made amounted to intimidation of people of the South-east, considering that they were predominantly Christians, who went to church and merchants who opened shops daily.

Besides, Omotosho pointed out that Kanu not being the president of Nigeria or a person of authority lacked the power to order a sit-at-home in the South-east or any part of Nigeria.

The judge concluded that the sit-at-home orders issued by Kanu were “unconstitutional” and “amounts to nothing more than a terrorist act”.

Similarly, the court found the defendant not only guilty of belonging to a proscribed group (IPOB), but being the leader of the group.

The court further convicted Kanu on counts four, five and six, which bordered on making a broadcast encouraging members of the public to kill Nigeria security officers, including the personnel of the Nigeria Police.

According to the judge, the prosecution proved that Kanu by his many broadcasts incited his followers to violence, which resulted in the killing of security personnel, including Mr Ahmed Gulak, a former aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan, and the destruction of several properties, including police stations across the country.

Similarly, the court found Kanu guilty on count seven, which bordered on illegal importation of a radio transmitter into the country.

Before handing down the sentence, the judge stated that he would not allow the unruly behaviour of the defendant to deny him the opportunity to plead for leniency.

The judge subsequently called one of his consultants, Alloy Ejimakor, to plead allocutus on behalf of the IPOB leader, but Ejimakor, who observed that he was not a counsel on record and not being properly dressed as a minister in the temple of justice could not plead allocutus.

He, thereafter, yielded the floor to the lawmaker from Kanu’s constituency.

Aguocha, who informed the court that Kanu was his schoolmate back then urged the court to be lenient to the convict, who according to him should be between 56 and 57 years.

Earlier, prosecution counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, prayed the court to hand down the maximum punishment of death penalty, so as to serve as deterrent to others, pointing out that terrorism related offences have been on the increase in the country of recent.

Besides, the senior lawyer submitted that the maximum punishment would serve justice to all the victims of his acts of terrorism.

He predicated the demand on the grounds that more than 75 security personnel lost their lives due to the terrorism activities of Kanu, his groups and followers, while many other innocent Nigerians were also killed and public property destroyed.

Delivering sentence, the court observed that although Kanu deserved death going by the gravity of the offence and his lack of remorse, the court was however mindful to show mercy and subsequently sentenced him to life imprisonment.

The judge also ordered that the IPOB leader be held in protective custody in any part of the country, to prevent attack on him due to the harm he caused a lot of people, especially citizens of the South-east region of the country.

The court in making the order remarked that the Kuje Correctional Centre may not be appropriate due to jail break.

Omotosho, in addition, ordered the Correctional Centre should not allow Kanu access to computer devices, on the grounds that he had used the devices to call for all the atrocities.

“He should not be allowed to near any of this device,” Omotosho held, adding that he could have limited access but must be monitored by the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).

While in counts 1,2,4,5 and 6, Kanu was sentenced to life imprisonment, he was on count three sentenced to 20 years and five years on count five.

The court in addition ordered the forfeiture of the radio transmitter to the federal government.

Abaribe: Kanu’s Life Sentence a Preconceived Plot Against the South-East

Former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, condemned the conviction and life imprisonment handed Nnamdi Kanu, describing the judgement as the culmination of a long-running plot against the South-east.

Abaribe, representing Abia South Senatorial District in the 10th Senate, in a statement in Abuja by his Media Adviser, Uchenna Awom, said the outcome did not come as a surprise to “the Igbo nation and other right-thinking Nigerians”.

He insisted that the process leading to the conviction had been predetermined.

Part of the statement read, “We are not surprised. The life jail handed down to Kanu was a preconceived plot that has only reached its expected end. For many of us, the outcome was foretold.”

Abaribe said the warning signs became clear the moment the federal government refused persistent appeals to extend to Kanu the same amnesty and reconciliation gestures previously granted to other armed groups in different parts of the country.

“At the time the federal government refused to factor in pleadings to extend amnesty to Nnamdi Kanu, as was done for others, we knew that today’s outcome was imminent,” the senator stated.

Abaribe drew comparisons with the handling of insurgents and militants in other regions, describing the disparity as a glaring injustice.

He stated, “Is it not an irony that negotiations and peace deals with rampaging terrorists in the North-east and North-west were gleefully initiated by local governments, states and the federal government?

“Just like the amnesty granted to ex-militants in the South-south, many of whom were later rewarded with lucrative oil pipeline contracts. This is to say that justice in Nigeria is not for the South-east.”

He lamented that despite repeated interventions, appeals, and advocacy for clemency in the interest of national unity, justice, and inclusiveness, all entreaties were ignored.

Abaribe said, “So we are not surprised. Our people can only endure and hope for a time when justice in Nigeria would become the sine qua non.

“We have done our best; we have variously made the case for the authorities to be circumspect and at least accede to pardon for the sake of unity and inclusiveness.”

The senator said the latest development had now placed a heavy responsibility on President Bola Tinubu, whom he urged to act decisively in the interest of equity and national cohesion.

“The Igbo nation is now left with no other option than to place her fate squarely on the desk of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.

Abaribe appealed for calm among Nigerians, especially in the South-east, urging citizens not to resort to violence in expressing their frustration over the ruling.

“We ask the Igbo nation and other lovers of Nigeria to remain calm, pray, and not take the law into their hands,” he said.

Nigerian Army Dismisses Fake ‘Sit-At-Home’ Order, Assures S’east Full Security

The 82 Division of the Nigerian Army dismissed a threat message circulating online announcing a fake “sit-at-home” order for yesterday, ahead of the verdict, describing it as the work of criminal elements seeking to create panic and destabilise the South-east.

According to the army, the message was crafted to instil fear, disrupt economic activities and undermine government authority, despite recent gains recorded by security forces in ending unlawful sit-at-home directives imposed by proscribed groups.

In a statemen by Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Ayeni, the military assured residents that the threat held no weight and would not be allowed to disrupt peace or restrict the freedom of law-abiding citizens.

It said, “We wish to unequivocally assure the good people of the South-East that such threats are baseless and will not stand, as no illegal order will be permitted to interfere with the peace and freedom of law-abiding citizens.”

Ayeni said the 82 Division, working in collaboration with the police and other security agencies, had put in place a comprehensive security plan to guarantee the safety of all residents.

He said security forces had been deployed to protect lives, property and critical infrastructure, while preventing any attempt at sabotage or violence.

The army further emphasised that freedom of movement remained fully protected and residents were free to carry out their lawful activities without fear.

“There will be peaceful coexistence, and economic activities will continue to thrive across the region,” the statement said.

The public was urged to disregard fear-inducing messages circulated by groups intent on causing panic for selfish reasons.

Citizens were also encouraged to continue their daily business without hesitation, remain calm and report any suspicious activity to relevant authorities.

The army issued a warning to criminal elements attempting to enforce the purported order, stressing that anyone found taking the law into their own hands will face decisive action in accordance with the law.

•To be held in protective custody •Abaribe: His life sentence a preconceived plot against the S’east •Army dismisses fake ‘sit-at-home’ order, assures South-east of full security Alex Enumah, Sunday Aborisade

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November 21, 2025
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US Congress Holds Hearing on Insecurity, Seeks Ways to Help Nigeria Help Itself

•Says move will help protect Christians, moderate Muslims

•Labelling insecurity as Christian persecution oversimplifies situation, says CSIS

•Congresswoman slams Trump’s military threat as reckless

•Discordant tunes mark committee sitting

•Panel chair wants US support for ‘vetted’ Nigerian forces

Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja

The United States House Foreign Affairs Africa Sub-committee yesterday held a public hearing on religious persecution in Nigeria and President Donald Trump’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern”, with members expressing divergent opinions on the current situation in Nigeria.

The hearing brought together lawmakers, human rights experts, as well as civil society organisations and advocates to discuss growing violence and alleged legal restrictions affecting religious communities in Nigeria, especially in the Northern part of the country.

In recent years, Nigeria has experienced security challenges, wherein non-state actors, including militant herders and terrorist groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic States West Africa Province, as well and bandits have carried out attacks targeting both Christians and Muslims.

While a number of the speakers spoke in favour of designating Africa’s most populous nation as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’, a status reserved for nations engaging in systematic, ongoing, and serious violations of religious freedom, a handful of the speakers sought balance, maintaining that the issues were not as simplistic as being portrayed by the US.

Chair of the Panel, Chris Smith, who represents the State of New Jersey, in his opening remarks, described the hearing as critical to the systematic and accelerating violence against ‘predominantly’ Christian communities in Nigeria.

Quoting data from Open Doors, he stated that Over 52,000 Christians in Nigeria have reportedly been targeted and killed by Islamist extremists while approximately 34,000 moderate Muslims have been murdered in Islamist attacks since 2009.

However, he posited that the United States must not stand by idly, the reason why he has repeatedly championed legislation calling for action. According to Smith, while designating Nigeria as a country of concern is a first step, the US must also help the country to overcome its current security challenges.

“I applaud President Trump’s recent decisive action to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for engaging in and tolerating severe violations of religious freedom. This was a critical step, reversing an inexplicable and unjustified previous decision by the Biden administration that had only emboldened the purveyors of hate.

“But the designation is only the first step. Now, we must rigorously utilise every tool embedded in the International Religious Freedom Act of 1988, authored by Congressman Frank Wolf, and the Frank Wolf International Religious Freedom Act of 2016, which I authored.

“I urge the State Department to seriously consider supporting human-rights vetted Nigerian forces to defend and protect Nigerian Christians and moderate Muslims. First, we must condition U.S. foreign assistance. Aid must be tied to verifiable progress from the Nigerian government in preventing persecution, prosecuting perpetrators, and protecting all communities.

“Second, we must provide direct humanitarian assistance to the faith-based groups working on the ground in the Middle Belt, who are best equipped to reach the internally displaced.

“Third, we must impose targeted sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act, using visa bans and asset freezes against individuals and entities responsible for these gross human rights abuses. The complicit must pay a price,” he added.

Congresswoman: US Military Threat Reckless

But at the hearing, US Congresswoman, Sara Jacobs, described as reckless, Donald Trump’s military threat to Nigeria over alleged Christian genocide, arguing that blaming Nigeria’s violence solely on religious conflict fails to capture the full scale of the crisis.

She said: “President Trump’s threat is reckless, and any unilateral military action in Nigeria is illegal. Congress has not authorised force in Nigeria to protect Christians.”

Jacobs, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Africa added that the violence affects both Christians and Muslims, urging the Nigerian government to do more to protect its citizens.

THISDAY recalls that weeks ago, the US President said he had designated Nigeria a country of particular concern, and asked the Defence Department to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria if the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians.

CSIS: Labelling Killings as Christian Persecution Oversimplifies Situation

In her submission, a Director and Senior Fellow of the Africa Programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Oge Onubogu, who spoke at the event, argued that branding Nigeria’s insecurity as Christian persecution was an oversimplification of a complex situation.

Onubogu, who said she grew up in Jos, cautioned against a narrow narrative that reduces the crisis to simply Christian persecution, arguing that religious and ethnic violence in Nigeria is driven more by governance failures and worsened by hate speech and conspiracy theories.

“A narrow narrative that frames Nigeria’s security situation solely as the persecution of Christians oversimplifies the issue. Religious and ethnic violence is driven more by governance failures and worsened by hate speech and conspiracy theories,” she maintained.

According to her, the insecurity in Nigeria stems from several years of governance failures, historical grievances, and social tensions rather than a single religious narrative, stressing that while Nigeria holds significant regional influence, it also faces persistent instability.

She added: “Nigeria’s instability stems from a key shortcoming. Despite (over) 64 years of independence, it has yet to establish a national identity grounded in basic freedoms and dignity.”

According to her, religion, ethnicity, and language continue to shape identity more than nationality, noting that understanding Nigeria’s violence requires looking beyond its apparent religious framing.

Describing Nigeria’s crisis as a mix “of religious extremism, banditry, criminality, resource competition, communal conflict, and separatist agitation, onubogu warned that religion will continue to influence politics in Nigeria.

Onubogu cautioned against military intervention and noted that any unilateral U.S. military action “would likely endanger the very Christians it aims to protect” and deepen Nigeria’s religious divisions and called on the US to avoid “reactive quick-win actions” and adopt a wider approach.

According to her: “Engaging with communities of all faiths, supporting moderate leaders, tying security assistance to governance reforms, and working more closely with state and local authorities,” and also the “revival of a bipartisan U.S. Congressional Caucus on Nigeria,” would be critical to the success of any US cooperation with Nigeria.

Besides, she called on President Bola Tinubu to appoint “a capable Nigerian ambassador to the US” to address mass killings and insecurity in the country.

Anagbe: Christianity Faces Risk of Extinction in Nigeria

In his presentation, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, Wilfred Anagbe, who joined the hearing virtually, maintained that Christians in Nigeria risked being wiped out by terrorists, pointing out that Nigeria was entering “one of its darkest periods” for Christians.

He said: “Christianity risks elimination in parts of Northern and Middle-Belt Nigeria within a very short time.”

To the cleric, the ongoing crises marked by killings, kidnappings and widespread destruction have intensified despite recent international attention, stressing that millions of displaced persons remain in camps, unable to return to their ancestral lands. “This threatens cultural continuity, religious and economic survival,” he argued.

He added that women “endure sexual violence as a weapon,” warning that such tactics are designed to ensure that “no more Christians will be born from so many traumatised”, recalling a series of recent violent incidents, including the May 22 attack on his hometown.

“An entire convent of Reverend Sisters of the Order of St. Clare was displaced, along with the local Catholic parish,” he stated.

“It took the prayers of the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, for the government in Nigeria to even acknowledge this evil,” he maintained, accusing the federal government of failing to confront the insecurity in the country head-on.

He asked : “Who is killing the Muslims up north? Is there any Christian militia displacing millions and occupying lands in Nigeria?“, warning that the violence is now spreading southward, displacing millions and destroying farmland.

He added: “The church alone cannot stop the killings. It requires coordinated political, military and humanitarian intervention. Mr Chairman and members, we cannot afford to wait any longer. Please enact concrete actions according to the CPC designation. We all know that inaction emboldens the extremists even more.”

Debate Splits US Lawmakers

However, it was observed that the debate caused serious divisions. For instance, Jacob McGee, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, defended the CPC redesignation, insisting that ‘atrocities’ against Christians, particularly in the Middle Belt, were faith-driven.

“These attacks directly target Christian populations. Witness testimonies confirmed attackers used religious language and specifically targeted Christians for killing, abduction, and rape,” McGee said.

Besides, he criticised Nigeria’s handling of blasphemy cases, describing slow judicial processes and mob violence as evidence of systemic religious freedom violations.

But another US Representative, Pramila Jayapal, pushed back strongly against what she called a one-sided narrative.

“The killings in Nigeria aren’t just the persecution of Christians. It is the persecution of multiple groups. We should be careful not to portray it as just prosecution of Christians; that would be simplistic,” she said.

Also in his presentation, Congressman Bill Huizenga, a co-sponsor of the resolution backing CPC redesignation, offered an emotional intervention, accusing the Nigerian government of inertia. “Tinubu’s government is sitting back, not doing enough,” he said.

•Says move will help protect Christians, moderate Muslims •Labelling insecurity as Christian persecution oversimplifies situation, says CSIS •Congresswoman slams Trump’s military threat as reckless •Discordant tunes mark committee sitting •Panel

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