New twist after CPC designation as U.S. Lawmakers push Nigeria to scrap Sharia Law, Hisbah

Growing calls in the United States for Nigeria to abolish Sharia law and disband Hisbah commissions have triggered fresh unease across northern states such as Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, and Zamfara, where these institutions have operated for decades as pillars of religious identity, social order, and local governance.

For many in the region, the pressure from some U.S. lawmakers to compel President Bola Tinubu to end Sharia-based legal systems is seen as an attempt to undermine constitutional freedoms that allow states to adopt legal and judicial frameworks consistent with their cultural and religious values.

Northern leaders insist that dismantling Hisbah structures and outlawing Sharia criminal law would disrupt long-standing community practices and unfairly target a region with a distinct history, demographic makeup, and religious way of life.

Their concerns grew louder on Tuesday after U.S. legislators were urged at a joint House briefing to push the Nigerian government into striking down Sharia law in the twelve northern states where it has been practiced since 2000, alongside dissolving Hisbah religious enforcement bodies accused by some American analysts of contributing to anti-Christian persecution.

During the session, which was convened in response to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, Dr. Ebenezer Obadare of the Council on Foreign Relations argued that extremist groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP “exploit” Sharia structures and Hisbah officials to entrench radical ideology and commit abuses.

In a statement quoted by the House Appropriations Committee, Obadare urged U.S. lawmakers to adopt a two-track strategy: support the Nigerian military in neutralising Boko Haram, and pressure President Tinubu to outlaw Sharia criminal law in northern states and disband Hisbah institutions that enforce Islamic codes on all residents regardless of faith.

Obadare noted that the Nigerian government has shown sensitivity to U.S. pressure in recent months.

He cited the intensified air strikes against Boko Haram, the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers, and the recent declaration of a national security emergency as responses linked to Nigeria’s previous CPC designation and Trump’s warnings of possible unilateral military action.

Still, he argued that Washington must “keep up the pressure,” insisting that more aggressive steps are necessary.

The bipartisan briefing, led by Appropriations Vice Chair Mario Díaz-Balart and involving members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, featured repeated allegations that the Nigerian government is complicit in what witnesses described as “religious cleansing” across the north and the Middle Belt.

Witnesses cited the recent abduction of pupils and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State, ongoing blasphemy-law convictions, and mass killings that they rejected as mere resource conflicts.

Obadare reiterated that the core of Nigeria’s crisis is jihadist terror, describing Boko Haram as the “deadliest threat” to the state.

He warned that any solution that does not prioritise the total degradation of Boko Haram as a fighting force is “a non-starter.”

Other lawmakers including Rep. Chris Smith labelled Nigeria “ground zero” for global anti-Christian persecution, while Rep. Brian Mast called for the disarmament of militias and prosecution of violent actors.

Senior officials from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom and Alliance Defending Freedom International detailed atrocities and urged Washington to deploy security-aid leverage, early-warning systems, and targeted sanctions to compel Nigeria to act.

Lawmakers also signalled support for new appropriations language addressing the crisis and revealed that the Appropriations Committee is preparing a formal report to President Trump with recommendations that could include conditions on U.S. assistance to Nigeria.

Tuesday’s briefing follows a series of congressional engagements since Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern on October 31 over religious freedom violations.

His administration has warned that U.S. aid to Nigeria may be halted and even threatened potential military action if the Federal Government fails to curb what Washington views as systematic persecution of Christians.

The U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee had earlier held a related hearing on November 20, featuring testimony from senior U.S. State Department officials and Nigerian religious leaders, reinforcing the intensifying scrutiny on Nigeria’s internal religious policies and security operations.

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