BREAKING: US House Votes to Withhold 100% of Aid to Nigeria Over Christians Killing

• The US House of Representatives has approved an amendment to withhold 100% of American aid to Nigeria over the killing of Christians.

The United States House of Representatives has approved an amendment seeking to withhold all American assistance to Nigeria until the country meets specific conditions aimed at addressing violence and holding perpetrators accountable.

The amendment, sponsored by Republican Congressman Gregory Steube, was adopted by a voice vote on Wednesday and attached to the fiscal 2027 State Department appropriations bill, which the House later passed by a 217-209 vote.

Announcing the development on X, Steube said the amendment would stop all U.S. assistance to Nigeria until the government addresses the killing of Christians.

“My amendment to withhold 100% of U.S. aid to Nigeria until its government stops the slaughter of Christians has passed.

“American taxpayers should never bankroll governments that turn a blind eye while Christians are abducted, tortured, and murdered. No more wasteful foreign aid!”

Aid restriction increased to 100%

The original spending bill proposed withholding 50 per cent of U.S. assistance to Nigeria until the U.S. Secretary of State certifies that Nigeria has taken effective steps to prevent violence and hold those responsible accountable.

Steube’s amendment increases the restriction to 100 per cent, while keeping the certification requirements unchanged.

Addressing lawmakers, the congressman argued that Nigeria has failed to adequately tackle widespread violence and said foreign aid should not reward governments that fail to protect their citizens.

“Foreign aid should never be a reward for failure,” he said.

He also linked the proposal to America’s growing debt, questioning continued financial assistance to Nigeria as the U.S. national debt approaches $40 trillion.

Measure yet to become law

Despite its approval in the House of Representatives, the proposal has not yet become law.

The measure must still be approved by the U.S. Senate and signed by the President before it can take effect, meaning there is currently no immediate change to U.S. assistance to Nigeria.

The vote comes amid heightened scrutiny of Nigeria over security concerns. President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern in 2025 over allegations of Christian persecution.

Although relations between both countries were strained following a U.S. missile strike on Nigerian territory on Christmas Day, Washington and Abuja have since strengthened security cooperation in efforts to combat terrorist groups operating in northern Nigeria.