US Congress Urged to Pressure Tinubu to Declare Sharia Law Unconstitutional, Disband Hisbah Commissions

• At a US congressional briefing, CFR’s Dr. Ebenezer Obadare urged tougher pressure on Nigeria, removal of Sharia-enforcement bodies, and stronger action against jihadist violence.

During a joint House briefing convened in response to US President Donald Trump’s October directive and Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Dr. Ebenezer Obadare issued a stark assessment of the violence sweeping northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt. He testified that Boko Haram, ISWAP and radicalised Fulani militants exploit Sharia frameworks and Hisbah enforcement bodies to impose extremist ideology, conduct forced conversions, and operate with near-total impunity.

According to a statement released by the House Appropriations Committee, Obadare presented a direct two-part strategy: work with the Nigerian military to neutralise Boko Haram, and apply US pressure on President Bola Tinubu to make Sharia criminal law unconstitutional in the 12 northern states where it has been adopted since 2000, as well as disband all Hisbah groups enforcing Islamic law on citizens regardless of their faith.

He warned that Washington must “keep up the pressure,” even while acknowledging steps recently taken by the Federal Government in response to US intervention. These steps include air strikes against Boko Haram camps, the recruitment of 30,000 new police officers, and Tinubu’s declaration of a national security emergency.

The bipartisan congressional session—led by House Appropriations Vice Chair Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) and involving the House Foreign Affairs Committee—heard repeated allegations that the Nigerian government is complicit in what lawmakers called “religious cleansing” across the north and Middle Belt. Witnesses referenced the November 22 abduction of schoolchildren and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, ongoing blasphemy-law imprisonments, and mass killings that they said cannot be explained solely by resource conflicts.

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Obadare reinforced the religious nature of the crisis:

“The deadliest and most serious threat confronting the Nigerian state today is jihadist terror… Boko Haram’s campaign to overthrow the Nigerian state and establish an Islamic caliphate is the source of Nigeria’s present discontents. Any proposal that does not prioritise eliminating Boko Haram as a fighting force is a non-starter.”

Further testimony came from Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who labelled Nigeria “ground zero” for global anti-Christian persecution, and Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), who demanded the disarmament of militias and prosecution of attackers.

USCIRF Chair Vicky Hartzler and ADF International’s Sean Nelson highlighted recent atrocities and urged Washington to use sanctions, early-warning systems and security-aid leverage to force accountability.

Lawmakers from both parties signaled support for Díaz-Balart’s FY26 appropriations language addressing the crisis, revealing that Congress is preparing a formal report to President Trump. The report will include concrete recommendations—and may propose new conditions on US assistance to Nigeria.

The briefing reflected a growing US consensus that reversing Sharia criminal law in northern Nigeria and dismantling Hisbah enforcement structures are vital steps toward stopping one of the world’s deadliest campaigns against religious minorities.

Tuesday’s session followed another hearing on November 20 by the US House Subcommittee, which examined Trump’s reinstatement of Nigeria’s CPC status. That earlier meeting featured senior State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders, underscoring Washington’s escalating scrutiny of Nigeria’s religious-freedom landscape.