U.S. Congress has expressed concern over President Bola Tinubu’s government hiring of American lobbyists for $9 million.

The congress claimed that the action was an attempt to downplay attacks against Christians in Nigeria by terrorists. 

The Chairman of Subcommittee on Africa, Chris Smith, made this statement at a Joint Hearing of Africa and Western Hemisphere Subcommittees on Defending Religious Freedom Around the World held in Washington on Wednesday.

“Christians in the Middle Belt are still being massacred. The government of Nigeria has taken small steps, but a culture of denial by Nigerian officials persists,” said Mr Smith.

He added, “I am deeply concerned that Nigeria has hired the K-Street lobbying firm DCI to the tune of $9 million (that’s $750,000 a month), and a Nigerian billionaire has entered into a $120,000-a-month contract with Valcour to influence Congress and 

the Executive Branch.”

While lauding President Donald Trump designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern like he did during his first tenure, Mr Smith condemned a former American President Joe Biden for delisting Nigeria from CPC list allowing Nigerian government to further enable religious violence.

“On the topic of Nigeria, President Trump’s Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation in October was necessary, long-overdue, and bold. In his first administration, with the strong backing of his Ambassador-at-Large San Brownback, who testified at my 2020 hearing, President Trump recognized that the mass killings by Boko Haram, ISIS West Africa, and armed Fulani terrorists against Christians in the Middle Belt—which were clearly motivated by ethnic and religious animus—meant Nigeria met the criteria for a CPC designation, and was so designated,” Mr Smith said.

He added, “Tragically, and inexplicably, President Biden and Secretary Blinken took Nigeria off the list—effectively giving the Nigerian government a free pass for enabling religious violence.”

For Mr Smith, Mr Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern was the first step of holding Nigerian government to protect Christians among other sanctions and penalties.

“Now, while the iron is hot, we must urge the government of Nigeria to protect the rights of persecuted Christians and non-radical Muslims. The CPC designation is a phenomenal first step, but in statute, it is accompanied by 15 different policy tools—including sanctions and other economic penalties that can and must be employed to improve the situation on the ground. We cannot take our eye off the ball,” Mr Smith said.

On January 14, Peoples Gazette reported that Mr Tinubu’s administration splurged $9 million on a Republican lobbyist in its desperate effort to curry Washington’s favour, particularly to appease Mr Trump on plans to invade Nigeria to confront terrorists allegedly targeting Christians thereby humiliating his government’s capacity ahead of his re-election bid next year.