US Agency Targets Boko Haram, ISWAP, And Nigeria With Sanctions Over Terrorist Activities

In its annual report published in March 2025, USCIRF urged the Trump administration to “appoint a Special Envoy for Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin to strengthen U.S. diplomatic efforts in addressing religious freedom violations and the risk of atrocities in the region.” The commission also accused the Nigerian government, under President Bola Tinubu, and various state governments of either tolerating or insufficiently responding to violent attacks by nonstate actors who justify their actions on religious grounds. These groups include Islamist extremists and Fulani militants, who have been responsible for targeting religious communities throughout Nigeria.

USCIRF also recommended that the U.S. State Department designate Nigeria, along with Afghanistan, India, and Vietnam, as Countries of Particular Concern (CPCs). The commission further proposed the redesignation of 12 countries, including Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, as CPCs.

In addition, USCIRF suggested keeping Algeria and Azerbaijan on the Special Watch List (SWL) while adding 10 more countries to the list, such as Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.

The commission also recommended redesignating terrorist organizations like Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), also known as ISIS-West Africa, as Entities of Particular Concern (EPCs), along with other groups like al-Shabaab, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), and the Houthis.

The report highlighted that Nigeria’s federal government continues to enforce blasphemy laws, with punishments of up to two years in prison for actions deemed insulting to religion. Several state governments also impose stricter blasphemy laws, leading to the imprisonment of individuals accused of blasphemy.

By the end of the year, at least five individuals remained imprisoned under blasphemy charges, including Mubarak Bala, Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, Isma’ila Sani Isah, Sheikh Abduljabar Nasiru Kabara, and Abdulazeez Inyass.

The report further noted the increased harassment of indigenous religious communities in both Muslim-majority and Christian-majority areas of Nigeria. For example, in July, the Anambra State government demolished an indigenous shrine following calls from the governor and Catholic bishops to eliminate “neo-paganism.”

The 2024 report also emphasized that religious freedom in Nigeria remained poor, with the government failing to address the violent actions of nonstate actors such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, Fulani militants, and bandit groups, all of whom continue to target religious communities, particularly Christians.