There are indications that Nigeria might be re-included in the United State Government’s list of countries that violate religious freedom.

The US government had in 2021 removed Nigeria from its list of countries that violate religious freedom against the recommendation of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

But according to a report by Fox News on Wednesday, a US representative for New Jersey’s fourth congressional district, Chris Smith, introduced a bipartisan resolution to add Nigeria to the state department’s annual list of countries that violate religious freedom on Tuesday.

Also, the report quoted the president and CEO of Global Christian Relief, David Curry, who spoke at the International Religious Freedom Summit on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., as advocating for the listing of  Nigeria as a country of particular concern.

Curry argued that the alleged abortion programme by the Nigerian military was carried out on victims without their consent and religious consideration.

“Since 2013 the Nigerian military has run a secret mass abortion program in the war against Boko Haram. A recent Reuters investigation revealed at least 10,000 pregnancies among women and girls ended after many had been kidnapped and raped.

“The army forced abortions on at least 10,000 women without their consent or consideration of their religious views after they had been kidnapped and raped by Boko Haram terrorists. Yet, rather than be intimidated into silence, 33 of these women spoke openly to journalists about these unspeakable, grotesque violations of their bodily autonomy and created international awareness of the situation,” he said.

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