The hearing, chaired by Representative Chris Smith, convened at 5 p.m. in Washington, DC, and included senior US State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders.
Speaking during the session, Representative John James, former chairman of the Africa Subcommittee and now a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said that the designation is necessary to tackle the worsening crisis confronting Nigerian Christians.
According to him, religious persecution is connected to political repression and weakening institutions in Nigeria, and Nnamdi Kanu’s case is proof because Nigeria’s Court of Appeal struck down the charges against him and ordered his release in 2022.