US Weighs Visa Bans Over Alleged Christian Killings in Nigeria

The United States Department of State has announced new measures targeting individuals linked to the alleged mass killings of Christians in Nigeria, indicating possible visa bans under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. is responding to attacks attributed to radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani militias, and other violent groups, stressing that visa restrictions could also extend to immediate family members.

The announcement followed a high-level briefing by U.S. House Republicans, held at the direction of President Donald Trump, who recently ordered an investigation into what he described as widespread Christian killings in Nigeria. Lawmakers, religious-freedom experts, and security officials reviewed rising religious violence and Nigeria’s re-designation as a “Country of Particular Concern,” a status that could open the door to sanctions.

The development comes as President Bola Tinubu approved Nigeria’s delegation to a U.S.–Nigeria Joint Working Group on security cooperation. Trump, who re-listed Nigeria as a CPC on October 31, 2025, has also said he may consider military action to protect Christian communities. Congressional hearings are now examining the implications of Washington’s renewed scrutiny of Nigeria’s religious-freedom record.

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