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Genocide: US congress panels hold hearing on religious freedom, raise concerns over Nigeria

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Witnesses scheduled to appear before the United States Congress on Wednesday have warned that Nigeria could face deeper religious tensions if ongoing violence and insecurity are not addressed, describing the country as a significant flashpoint in the global religious freedom debate.

The concerns are contained in written testimonies released ahead of a joint hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Africa and Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.

The session, titled “Defending Religious Freedom Around the World,” is set to examine threats to freedom of belief in several regions.

Among the witnesses expected to testify are former US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback; Principal Advisor for Global Religious Freedom at the US State Department, Mark Walker; Grace Drexel, daughter of a detained Chinese pastor; and Dr. Stephen Schneck, former chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

In his prepared remarks, Brownback described Nigeria as “the deadliest place on the planet to be a Christian,” warning that patterns of violence, displacement, and insecurity point to a potentially worsening religious crisis.

“Early warning signs of a Muslim-on-Christian war are brewing across Africa, and Nigeria sits at the centre of that danger,” Brownback wrote, adding that faith communities under threat globally are “America’s greatest allies in the spread of freedom.”

Brownback also raised concerns about foreign actors in Nigeria’s security environment, cautioning that involvement from countries such as China, Russia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia could further complicate stability if not carefully monitored.

In a separate submission, Schneck said freedom of religion or belief is facing a “historic crisis” worldwide, citing Nigeria, Syria, and Sudan as examples where weak governance and insecurity have created dangerous conditions for religious communities.

“Nigeria, Syria, and Sudan are current examples of such conditions threatening freedom of religion or belief,” Schneck wrote in his personal capacity.

He criticised what he described as gaps in the implementation of the United States’ International Religious Freedom Act, arguing that Washington’s actions have not matched its rhetoric.

“If we are to take the International Religious Freedom Act as our measure, then the United States is not doing enough. We have been long on rhetoric and short on substance,” Schneck said.

The former USCIRF chair also warned against focusing advocacy solely on Christians, stressing that international religious freedom protections apply to all faiths.

The renewed congressional attention follows Nigeria’s recent redesignation by US President Donald Trump as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over alleged violations of religious freedom.

The designation sparked diplomatic engagement between the two countries, including security consultations and meetings between US officials and Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

While US lawmakers examine the issue, the Nigerian government has consistently rejected claims of targeted religious persecution, maintaining that insecurity in the country affects citizens across religious and ethnic lines.

The outcome of the hearing is expected to influence further US legislative and diplomatic engagement on religious freedom issues in Nigeria and other countries identified as high-risk.

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“I’m still coming to terms with the cruel fact” – Actress Dakore Akande shares photos from father’s burial

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Nollywood actress Dakore Akande has shared photos from her father’s burial.

It was reported on February 6th that her younger brother, Timini, had shared photos from his low-key burial ceremony, which was attended only by family. He revealed that they said their final goodbyes as he bade his father farewell.

Now, sharing photos on her Instagram page, Dakore said she is still coming to terms with the cruel fact that she won’t see her dad for a while.

Dakore said she is, however, comforted by the fact that they will meet eventually at God’s appointed time. She added that she and her siblings wore white and blue to honour him, as they were his favourite colours.

She also revealed that she made a playlist of some of his favourite songs, which they danced to at the reception in his honour.

“When we laid Dad to rest…..
It’s been a difficult task to post these photos, os but here we are.
I’m still coming to terms with the cruel fact that I won’t see my Dad for a while.
But I’m comforted by the fact that we will all meet eventually at God’s appointed time.
We wore white and blue to honor Dad, as that was his signature, I sang the opening and his favorite hymn, we had 2 services on the same day- one in Austin, TX where he lived for many years and in Lagos, Nigeria, where he made his name and lived for many years also.
I made a playlist of some of his favorite songs which we danced to at the reception in his honor.
I’m so glad that so many people came to support our family and I thank you all my lovely dakorians, or all your prayers and heartfelt lovex”.

Earlier this year, actor, Timini, had announced the passing of his father. He said he never thought he would start the year by saying RIP to his dad, and promised to continue to make him proud.

His sister, Dakore Akande, expressed how heartbroken she is, yet glad that he was free from pain. She expressed gratitude for the memories and laughter, the legacy of excellence that he instilled in them, and his love for music and looking stylish.

Also, losing a parent earlier this year was famous comedian, Alibaba, who lost his mother. Alibaba’s wife, Mary Akpobome, had paid an emotional tribute to her, recounting her last visit, which she described as the most treasured.

Two weeks ago, BBNaija Liquorose had mourned the death of her father. Sharing a photo of her late father, she expressed how much she misses him, and affirmed her love for him.

Days before the New Year, actress Lizzy Gold had lost her father. The Asaba actress said what she feared, lamenting that this wasn’t their plan, as he was supposed to cross over into the new year.

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US military aircraft drops ammo in Borno

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No fewer than three United States military aircraft landed in Nigeria between Thursday and Friday.

The aircraft, it was gathered, landed at military bases in Borno and other northeastern states.

Senior officers at the Defence Headquarters disclosed that the aircraft carried ammunition sent to Nigeria by the American government.

The officers, in separate interviews with our correspondents, said the development was part of US interventions to support Nigeria in the fight against insecurity.

“Following Nigeria-US bilateral talks on security, the American government will not only deploy soldiers but also provide necessary logistics, including ammunition, to fight the insurgents,” one of the officers who spoke on condition of anonymity said.

Another high ranking officer explained that the delivery was part of operational logistics, noting that the military often requires replenishment of ammunition after operations.

“I know that recently US aircraft came to supply ammunition for our platforms, and that wasn’t the first time. So, what you are saying may be true, though I have not been officially briefed.

“We go for operations and use different calibres of ammunition, which need to be replaced.

“The US and the Nigerian government, under the coordination of the NSA, are working together to end insecurity in the country. So, we should expect more deployments of aircraft and troops,” he added.

The New York Times on Saturday reported that US military aircraft landed in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Thursday night.

By Friday evening, the paper reported that three planes could be seen at the base, with equipment being offloaded from one.

“These initial flights are the vanguard of what will be a stream of C-17 transport flights into three main locations across Nigeria,” a US Department of Defense official told the newspaper.

An X account @mobilisingniger, operated by a user who claimed to be a counter-terrorism expert, also disclosed on Friday that a US Air Force military transport aircraft C30J landed at the Kaduna International Airport after departing from Ghana.

It suggested that the Kaduna Depot might serve as a potential training hub for US personnel deployed to train the Nigerian military.

“A US Air Force military transport aircraft C30J has landed at Kaduna International Airport after departing from Ghana earlier this (Friday) evening. The movement is fuelling speculation that US personnel may utilise the Kaduna Depot as a potential training hub in collaboration with the Nigerian military. This signals a potential deepening of US–Nigeria security engagement amid ongoing regional security challenges,” the post read.

Another user, Brant Philip, who claimed to be a tracker on X, said there had been a “massive delivery of equipment” to the Maiduguri Airbase, Borno State.

“The US Air Force C-130J-30 cargo aircraft flew to northeast Nigeria today (Friday) from Accra, Ghana, following the same route as the two previous C-17A, a mass delivery of equipment seems to be ongoing,” he wrote.

The Director of Defence Media Operations, Michael Onoja, had yet to respond to an inquiry on the matter as of the time of filing this report.

US deploys military officers

The United States President, Donald Trump, had in 2025 declared that he would send military forces to Nigeria if the government failed to stop what he described as genocide against Christians.

Following his threat and the declaration of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, the US carried out an airstrike on Islamic State fighters in Sokoto State on Christmas Day.

Both the US and Nigeria have since deepened engagements on enhancing security in the country.

Earlier, it was reported that 200 US officers would be deployed in Nigeria.

The New York Times reported that the first wave of personnel had arrived in the country.

It stated that the development marked the beginning of a deployment of the 200 American intelligence analysts, advisers and trainers to assist the country’s armed forces in targeted counterterrorism operations, partly aimed at protecting Nigerian Christians.

The New York Times further disclosed that several additional aircraft carrying troops and equipment were expected to land over the weekend, with the flow continuing in the coming weeks.

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Bowyer: When I saw Summerville in West Ham’s team I was disappointed

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Burton Albion boss Gary Bowyer admits he had a feeling that Crysencio Summerville would make the difference for West Ham today.

Summerville struck in extra-time as the Hammers won today’s fourth round tie 1-0.

Bowyer said afterwards: “We started the game ever so well and had two shouts for penalties. We took a Premier League team all the way to the last minute of extra time.

“We had some really good key moments today but were not able to captalise on them.

“When I got the team sheet and they had left Jarrod Bowen at home I was delighted but then I saw Crysencio Summerville in the squad I was disappointed with that.

“We kept going after we conceded, we had loads of chances we just couldn’t quite capitalise.”

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