Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, head of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, has called on the United States to complement its renewed designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) with tangible measures, during testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa on Thursday.

Speaking on behalf of millions of Christians in Nigeria and the diaspora, Bishop Anagbe commended President Donald Trump and the subcommittee for the CPC designation but stressed that the move must be backed by serious action.

“It is a vital step, but must be backed by serious action,” he said. He urged the U.S. to implement the Magnitsky Act for targeted sanctions against Nigerian government officials and others who tolerate or condone Islamic violence.

The Bishop also called for linking security and humanitarian aid to measurable improvements on the ground. He highlighted the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs), urging that they be provided security guarantees to return safely to their homes.

“They must be supported to rebuild their economic livelihoods and enjoy basic services such as education and sanitation,” Anagbe said. He also endorsed proposed U.S. legislation, the Nigerian Religious Freedom Accountability Act, to hold perpetrators accountable, emphasizing that impunity fuels continued violence.

Bishop Anagbe recounted the human cost of attacks, noting that many Christian victims remain traumatized. He described one priest who cannot walk after surviving an assault and accused the federal government of downplaying casualty figures and abandoning survivors.

While acknowledging that Trump’s previous CPC designation “aimed to stabilize Nigeria,” Anagbe warned that it alone cannot end the killings, which continue to threaten Christian communities.

“Irrespective of who is being killed, the prime question is: are there killings in Nigeria? The government should stop it. It requires political, military and humanitarian interventions,” he said.

Bishop Anagbe appealed to U.S. lawmakers to use every tool of influence to demand change, noting that inaction emboldens extremists and undermines religious freedom globally.

The controversy follows President Trump’s reinstatement of Nigeria on the CPC list on October 31, 2025, citing systematic persecution of Christians, a claim firmly rejected by the Nigerian government.