By Ayo Kehinde
The United States has imposed visa restrictions on individuals — including their immediate family members — who have “directed, authorized, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom” in Nigeria and other countries.
U.S. President Donald Trump, last month, claimed that Christianity faces an “existential threat” in Nigeria, alleging widespread killings of Christians by “radical Islamists.”
Trump insisted that thousands of Christians have been killed in recent years, describing the situation as an emergency requiring firm action from Washington.
Announcing the U.S. response to what Trump described as widespread killings of Christians in Nigeria and elsewhere, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “The United States is taking decisive action … in Nigeria and beyond.”
Under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), the State Department is empowered to deny visas to individuals involved in egregious abuses.
U.S. officials described the action as a firm response to alleged mass killings and violence against Christians by radical Islamist terrorists, Fulani ethnic militias, and other violent groups in Nigeria and beyond.
Analysts say the move signals a tougher U.S. stance on global human rights and religious freedom, potentially increasing pressure on perpetrators of sectarian and ethnic violence to face accountability.
