UN chief decries attacks on Nigeria’s religious communities

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom's newly elected Chair, Asif Mahmood, has identified Nigeria as his primary focus and expressed deep concern over ongoing attacks against religious communities within the country. During an interview with OSV News, Mahmood stated that the situation in Nigeria remained a significant issue for the independent and bipartisan U.S. federal government body that monitors religious freedom worldwide.

Mahmood told OSV News, "My top priority is going to be — if you ask me, 'pick one place' — it’ll be Nigeria." He highlighted that both Islamic extremist groups like Boko Haram and Muslim communities had been severely impacted by the violence. Mahmood also pointed out that disputes between farmers and herders contributed to insecurity in various regions of the country.

The USCIRF previously requested that the U.S. administration reclassify Nigeria as a "country of particular concern" in 2025, a term used for nations with systematic violations of religious freedom by the U.S. State Department. In December 2025, the U.S. carried out a deadly strike in Nigeria on Christmas Day, targeting Islamic State terrorists who had persecuted Christians in the country.

Mahmood emphasized Nigeria's importance as the world's most populous country with substantial Christian and Muslim populations, stating that the commission desired an end to the "misery and brutal" conditions. He expressed interest in seeing tangible improvements, such as the recovery of kidnapping victims. Recently, President Bola Tinubu received praise from Trump in a letter released by the Nigerian Presidency for addressing the violence affecting Christian communities.

However, Mahmood criticized the Nigerian government for allegedly tolerating and failing to respond to violent attacks on religious communities by non-state actors. He referred to the USCIRF's 2026 annual report, released on March 4, which continued to express concern over Nigeria's situation. The commission recently welcomed new members and reaffirmed its bipartisan nature, stating its mission is to assist any community worldwide facing religious repression.