US Congress Urged To Pressure Nigeria To Abolish Sharia Law, Disband Hisbah Over Alleged Religious Persecution
December 3, 2025
News
United States lawmakers were on Tuesday urged to apply direct pressure on the Nigerian government to declare Sharia law unconstitutional in the 12 northern states where it has been practiced since 2000. They were also called upon to push for the dismantling of Hisbah religious-police commissions, which have been accused of enabling extremist abuses.
The appeal came during a joint House session held to review escalating violence and what several witnesses described as state-enabled religious persecution targeting Christian communities across northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt. The hearing was convened in response to President Donald Trump’s October directive concerning Nigeria’s reinstated Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation.
Dr. Ebenezer Obadare, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, warned lawmakers that Sharia-based governance and Hisbah enforcement structures have increasingly become tools exploited by jihadist factions. He argued that these systems provide “ideological and operational cover” for Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and radicalised Fulani militias who impose extremist rule, enforce forced conversions, and commit abuses with near-total impunity.
A statement from the House Appropriations Committee quoted Obadare as outlining a two-step policy approach for Washington: “First, work with the Nigerian military to neutralise Boko Haram. Second, the United States should put pressure on President Tinubu to (1) make Sharia law unconstitutional in the twelve northern states where it has been adopted since 2000, and (2) disband the various Hisbah groups across northern states seeking to impose Islamic law on all citizens regardless of religious identity.”
Obadare acknowledged that Nigeria has made certain moves in response to renewed U.S. pressure, citing President Tinubu’s recent actions — including ordering air strikes against Boko Haram targets, recruiting 30,000 additional policemen, and declaring a national security emergency. Nonetheless, he stressed that “far more assertive diplomacy is required,” and urged Washington to “keep up the pressure.”
The briefing, led by Appropriations Vice Chair Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) and attended by members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, featured stark warnings that the Nigerian state is failing to prosecute — and, in some cases, enabling — what lawmakers described as “religious cleansing.” Witnesses referenced the November 22 abduction of pupils and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, ongoing blasphemy imprisonments, and systematic mass killings displacing entire Christian communities.
Obadare reiterated that the gravest threat facing Nigeria is jihadist terrorism: “Boko Haram’s barbarous campaign to overthrow the Nigerian state and establish an Islamic caliphate is the root of Nigeria’s current crisis. Any proposal that does not prioritise degrading and eliminating Boko Haram as a fighting force is a non-starter.”
Several lawmakers echoed the urgency. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) described Nigeria as “ground zero for global anti-Christian persecution,” while Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) called for immediate disarmament of militias and prosecution of attackers. U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Chair Vicky Hartzler, alongside Sean Nelson of Alliance Defending Freedom International, detailed widespread atrocities and urged the U.S. government to use security assistance, early-warning tools, and targeted sanctions to compel Nigerian authorities to act.
Both Republicans and Democrats signalled support for Díaz-Balart’s FY26 appropriations language aimed at confronting the crisis. They also confirmed that Congress is preparing a formal report for President Trump, which may recommend placing conditions on U.S. assistance to Nigeria.
Nigeria was first designated a Country of Particular Concern in 2020 under President Trump, a status reversed under President Joe Biden. However, Trump reinstated the designation on October 31, warning of potential military action and suspension of aid if Nigeria fails to curb extremist violence and anti-Christian attacks.
Tuesday’s hearing follows a separate November 20 House Subcommittee session on the CPC redesignation, which featured testimony from senior State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders.
This latest briefing underscored a rapidly growing consensus in Washington: that dismantling Sharia criminal law and abolishing Hisbah religious police across northern Nigeria are now viewed by U.S. lawmakers as essential steps toward addressing what they describe as one of the world’s most severe and overlooked religious-freedom crises.