Why Ekpa-led BRGIE backs US plan designation of Nigeria as CPC-Nkere
The Acting Prime Minister of Simon Ekpa-led Biafra Republic Government in Exile, Ogechukwu Nkere, has backed the United States of America Congress’s call on President Donald Trump to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) due to widespread persecution of Christians.
Nkere made this known in a statement through his official X account, noting the call was a result of BRGIE’s lobbying at US Congress.
Recall that lawmakers at the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa urged Trump to impose sanctions during a meeting on March 12, 2025.
Committee Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ) spoke on the severity of the crisis, referencing firsthand testimony from Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Diocese of Makurdi, Nigeria.
The subcommittee noted that Nigerians constituted 90 percent of Christians killed worldwide annually, citing a 2024 report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa showing out of the 55,910 people killed between October 2019 and September 2023, 21,000 of them were abducted in the context of terror groups.
“Make no mistake, all of these attacks are based on religion as I said, and diverting attention from it denies what we have seen with our own eyes. This “religious cleansing” needs to stop, and the perpetrators be brought to justice,” the report noted.
Also, the Global Persecution Index has placed Nigeria among the deadliest countries for Christians.
The development has sparked reactions in Nigeria.
Reacting, Nkere noted that the US Congress Committee was on point in its recommendation for sanctions against Nigeria.
He noted that he and BRGIE lobbyists were in attendance at the US House Committee when the lawmakers recommended the designation of Nigeria as CPC.
“BRGIE Acting Prime Minister Nkere had several private discussions on the sidelines of the hearing with the following House Foreign Affairs Committee members of Congress: Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Rep. James Baird (R-IN), and Rep. Jonathan Jackson (D-IL). During the hearing, many members of the committee recommended that Nigeria be “A Country of Particular Concern”, paving the way for the Trump Administration to enact such a policy.
“BRGIE, through its lobbying firm Moran Global Strategies (MGS), has engaged actively with the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Africa Subcommittee over the past months, especially its Chairman Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ).
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“The BRGIE had strongly recommended to its congressional counterparts the need for Congressional hearings, and for Nigeria to be re-designated as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). While the BRGIE considers the hearing a demonstration of the effectiveness of its lobbying campaign, it considers a CPC re-designation as simply a first step and will push further for Congress to take action regarding the Biafra issue specifically.
“BRGIE being the only legal entity Recognized by the US Department of Justice for Biafra Independence has taken a significant diplomatic leap forward following a series of high-level engagements with U.S. Senators and Congresspersons in Washington, DC. This has become imperative after the Declaration Convention held in Lahti, Finland, in 2024, where 517 Biafran delegates globally voted and ratified the Biafra self-referendum conducted from February 1, 2024, to November 28, 2024 and a formal declaration document was extracted with 517 delegates signatures”, he stated.
He added that he had also met with US lawmakers on February 25 and 3rd, 2025 on the advancement of Biafra Independence.
