CALLS in US for Nigeria to abolish Sharia law and disband Hisbah commissions have sparked fresh concern across northern states such as Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Zamfara, and others, where these institutions have operated for decades as core elements of religious order, identity, and local governance.
For many in the region, the push by some United States lawmakers to pressure President Bola Tinubu into ending Sharia-based legal systems feels like an attempt to override the constitutional freedoms that allow states to adopt legal frameworks reflecting their cultural and religious values.
Northern leaders argue that dismantling Hisbah and outlawing Sharia would not only disrupt long-standing community practices but also unfairly single out their region in ways that ignore its unique history and demographic realities and religious way of life.
It was against this backdrop that U.S. legislators were urged on Tuesday to compel the Nigerian government to strike down Sharia law in the northern states where it has been adopted, and to dissolve the religious enforcement Hisbah bodies amid warnings from some American experts that these institutions allegedly contribute to systemic anti-Christian persecution.
News Point Nigeria reports that during a joint House briefing held in response to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s earlier designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Dr. Ebenezer Obadare argued that extremist groups including Boko Haram and ISWAP “exploit” Sharia structures and Hisbah officials to entrench radical ideology and commit abuses with impunity.
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.”
In laying out his strategy, Obadare acknowledged efforts by the Federal Government in response to pressure from the United States.
“As recent events have shown, the Nigerian authorities are not impervious to incentives, ”he said.
“Since the country’s Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation and President Trump’s threat of unilateral military action against Boko Haram, President Tinubu has made several moves, including ordering air strikes against Boko Haram targets, the recruitment of an additional 30,000 policemen, and, most recently, declaring a national security emergency in the country.”
He, however, expects a lot more to be done, saying, “Washington must keep up the pressure.”
The bipartisan session, led by Appropriations Vice Chair Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL) and involving the House Foreign Affairs Committee, heard repeated accusations that the Nigerian government is complicit in what lawmakers called “religious cleansing” across the north and Middle Belt.
Witnesses cited the November 22 abduction of children and teachers from St Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, what they described as ongoing blasphemy-law imprisonments, and mass killings, rejecting claims that the violence stems solely from resource disputes.
Obadare emphasised the roots of the crisis, saying, “The deadliest and most serious threat confronting the Nigerian state today is jihadist terror, perpetrated by the Islamist group Boko Haram.
“Boko Haram translates to ‘Western education is forbidden.’ Boko Haram’s barbarous and implacable campaign to overthrow the Nigerian state and establish an Islamic caliphate in its stead is the source of Nigeria’s present discontents.
“Every proposal to solve the Nigerian crisis that does not take seriously the need to radically degrade and ultimately eliminate Boko Haram as a fighting force is a non-starter.”
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) labelled Nigeria “ground zero” for global anti-Christian persecution, while Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) demanded the disarmament of militias and prosecution of attackers.
U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Chair Vicky Hartzler and Alliance Defending Freedom International’s Sean Nelson detailed recent atrocities and called for Washington to use security-aid leverage, early-warning systems, and targeted sanctions to force accountability.
Lawmakers from both parties signalled support for Díaz-Balart’s FY26 appropriations language addressing the crisis.
They announced that the Appropriations Committee is drafting a formal report to President Trump with concrete recommendations, including potential conditions on U.S. assistance to Nigeria.
The briefing underscored the Trump administration’s recent redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. It reflected growing congressional consensus that reversing Sharia criminal law in the north and dismantling hisbah forces are essential steps to halt one of the world’s deadliest campaigns against religious minorities.
Trump first designated Nigeria as a CPC in 2020, but it was removed from the list by his successor, President Joe Biden.
However, the US president, on October 31, redesignated Nigeria as a CPC over religious freedom violations.
He thereafter threatened military action in Nigeria if the Federal Government did not address the challenge. Trump said the US may halt aid and assistance to Nigeria if nothing is done to stop the alleged Christian persecution.
Tuesday’s briefing is not the first of such by the US Congress. The US House of Representatives Subcommittee held a hearing on Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern on November 20.
It featured two panels of witnesses, including senior US State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders.