Key Points

• Nancy Mace says Christians in Nigeria face genocide.

• U.S. lawmakers propose sanctions over faith-based killings.

• Tinubu rejects claims, says Nigeria’s religions coexist peacefully.

More U.S. lawmakers are urging the Donald Trump administration to act over what they call genocide against Christians in Nigeria.

Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina joined the call this week, saying the violence can’t be ignored any longer.

“Bill Maher said what the media refuses to: faith is under fire. You don’t have to be a Christian to see evil for what it is,” Mace said Wednesday.

“What’s happening to Christians in Nigeria is genocide, and pretending it isn’t happening won’t make it stop.”

Her statement has drawn fresh attention in Washington. Lawmakers and rights groups say the killings in Nigeria’s north and Middle Belt demand urgent international response.

U.S. lawmakers call for sanctions

Several American legislators have voiced similar concerns. Senator Ted Cruz proposed the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, which would sanction officials accused of enabling the killings or enforcing “blasphemy laws.”

Other members of Congress, including Senator Jim Risch, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Representative Riley Moore of West Virginia, have also condemned the attacks.

In a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Moore urged the U.S. to classify Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act.

He wrote that reports suggest corrupt officials in Nigeria may be complicit, and in some cases directly involved, in the violence.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has repeatedly warned about the growing number of attacks.

The group says it needs international support to protect Christian communities facing daily threats.

Tinubu rejects genocide allegations

President Bola Tinubu has dismissed the claims, saying they distort Nigeria’s reality.

“Nigeria is a proud, sovereign nation built on the faith and resilience of its people,” Tinubu said in a statement.

“Here, no faith is under siege, no community is excluded. Our churches, mosques, and traditional shrines stand side by side as symbols of unity.”

He said outside voices often exaggerate religious divisions and overlook the country’s diversity.

“We must never allow outsiders to tell us who we are or sow division among us,” Tinubu said.

“No one loves this country more than Nigerians, and no one will define us except us.”

Officials in his administration argue that Nigeria’s security challenges stem from criminal activity and regional conflicts, not religion.

Rights groups demand stronger response

Faith-based organizations and human rights advocates continue to demand international monitoring.

They say extremist groups and armed militias have deliberately targeted Christian villages and clergy.

CAN reports that thousands of Christians have been displaced in recent years. Hundreds of churches have also been destroyed.

The group wants both the Nigerian government and its international partners to treat the attacks as a coordinated campaign, not random violence.

Mace said silence from the international community only worsens the crisis. “Silence empowers evil,” she said. “It’s time to act.”