United States lawmakers were urged on Tuesday to pressure the Nigerian government to abolish Sharia law in northern states where they has been adopted and disband the religious-enforcement Hisbah commissions, with experts warning that these laws and groups are fueling systematic anti-Christian persecution.
During a joint House briefing in response to US President Donald Trump’s October directive and designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Dr. Ebenezer Obadare testified that the primary drivers of violence – Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and radicalised Fulani militants – exploit Sharia frameworks and Hisbah officials to impose extremist ideology, enforce forced conversions, and operate with near-total impunity.
Obadare laid out a strategy for dealing with the violence and killings.
A statement by the House Appropriations Committee quoted him as saying, “The policy goal should be two-fold: first, work with the Nigerian military to neutralise Boko Haram.
“Second, the United States should put pressure on President Tinubu to (1) make Sharia law unconstitutional in the twelve northern states where they has been adopted since 2000 and (2) disband the various Hisbah groups across northern states seeking to enforce and impose Islamic law on all citizens regardless of their religious identity.”
