United States lawmakers have been urged to intensify pressure on Nigeria to abolish Sharia law in the northern states where it is enforced and to disband the Hisbah religious policing groups, which experts say continue to facilitate persecution of Christians and other minority communities.
The call came during a joint House briefing convened following President Donald Trump’s directive and Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern. Dr. Ebenezer Obadare of the Council on Foreign Relations highlighted how extremist groups—including Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and radicalised Fulani militias—exploit Sharia frameworks and Hisbah operatives to enforce forced conversions, spread extremist ideology, and carry out attacks with minimal resistance.
Obadare outlined a two-pronged strategy for the U.S.: collaborate closely with the Nigerian military to combat Boko Haram, and simultaneously press President Bola Tinubu to declare Sharia unconstitutional in the twelve northern states that adopted it in 2000 and to dissolve the Hisbah groups operating in the region.
He noted that external pressure has already produced results. Since the CPC designation and Trump’s warning of potential unilateral action against Boko Haram, Tinubu has ordered airstrikes on insurgent positions, approved the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers, and declared a national security emergency.
However, Obadare emphasized that these steps remain insufficient and continued U.S. engagement is critical.
The bipartisan briefing, led by Appropriations Vice Chair Mario Díaz-Balart and attended by members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, stressed that the Nigerian government has largely failed to address what lawmakers described as religious cleansing in the northern and Middle Belt regions.
Cited incidents included the November 22 kidnapping of pupils and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, prosecutions under blasphemy laws, and repeated mass killings. Witnesses rejected claims that the violence is merely about land and resource disputes.
Obadare argued that the core issue remains unchecked jihadist activity, with Boko Haram seeking to dismantle the Nigerian state and establish an Islamic order. He concluded that any meaningful solution must prioritise the complete defeat of insurgent groups.
