A coalition of advocacy groups in the United States has petitioned the U.S. government to re-designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) following the alarming surge in violent killings by bandits and suspected Fulani herdsmen across various regions of the country.
The call was made by a delegation consisting of the American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID) and Rising Sun & Ambassadors for Self Defense during a recent visit to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
The delegation held closed-door meetings with several members of the U.S. Congress where it also lobbied for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
According to the group, Nigeria’s removal from the U.S. watchlist in previous years has emboldened elements within the country who allegedly commit atrocities against religious and ethnic minorities with little to no consequence.
They insisted that the growing wave of unchecked violence, particularly in Christian-dominated communities, calls for renewed international scrutiny.
“The situation in Nigeria has deteriorated even further since the last time the U.S. delisted it as a Country of Particular Concern,” one of the delegates said.
“We are here not just to lobby for justice for Nnamdi Kanu, but to call the world’s attention to a slow-burning genocide occurring in plain sight.”
The delegation urged the U.S. Congress to place Nigeria back on its watchlist and initiate targeted sanctions on political and military leaders complicit in the violence.
As of press time, the U.S. State Department has yet to comment on the appeal, but insiders say the issue may be reviewed in upcoming human rights and religious freedom assessments.