“Nigeria Is the Most Dangerous Place in the World for Christians” — U.S. Lawmaker Nancy Mace

U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Mace has described Nigeria as the most dangerous place in the world for Christians, decrying the ongoing violence and persecution by what she called “Islamic terrorists.”

Mace, who represents South Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives, made the comments in a series of posts on X, expressing concern over the scale of attacks and the lack of global response. “Nigeria is the most dangerous place in the world for Christians,” she wrote. “Five million displaced. More than 850 Christian hostages. Six hundred clergy attacked.”

Accusing the international community of indifference, Mace alleged that extremists have “wiped out 18,000 churches in Nigeria.” She recalled the 2014 abduction of over 250 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram, saying they were “ripped from their classrooms, forced into conversion, slavery, and unspeakable violence,” with many never seen again.

Her comments come amid renewed debate over what some U.S. figures have called a Christian genocide in Nigeria, following remarks by American TV host Bill Maher. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has also confirmed ongoing attacks on Christians by jihadist groups and appealed for international assistance to address the crisis.

In Washington, Senator Ted Cruz has proposed the *Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act*, which would sanction officials found complicit in the persecution of Christians or in enforcing blasphemy laws. Other lawmakers, including Senator Jim Risch, Representative Riley Moore, and Senator Marco Rubio, have echoed similar concerns. Moore, in a letter to the U.S. Secretary of State, urged that Nigeria be designated a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing reports that “corrupt cells of the Nigerian government may be complicit, and even directly involved, in some of these attacks.”

Despite mounting international criticism, the Nigerian government maintains that terrorists are not specifically targeting Christians. President Bola Tinubu, who had previously voiced concern over such killings while in opposition, has repeatedly dismissed claims that Christians are being singled out in the country’s wave of violence.