Nigeria could be on the brink of a larger religious conflict, U.S. lawmakers heard this week.
Ahead of a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing, witnesses described the country as a major flashpoint in a global crisis of religious freedom. Recurring killings, displacement, and insecurity are early warning signs, they said.
Former U.S. Ambassador Sam Brownback called Nigeria “the deadliest place on the planet to be a Christian” and warned that violence there could spill across Africa.
He also cautioned that foreign involvement—from China, Russia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia—could worsen instability if not carefully managed.
The hearing, titled “Defending Religious Freedom Around the World,” aims to spotlight the threats facing communities in Nigeria and beyond.
