Republican lawmakers are pressing the State Department to demand stronger action from Nigeria after fatalities in ethno-religious violence rose sharply even as the number of recorded security incidents edged down.

Figures from the Nigeria Risk Index, cited in congressional discussion, put fatalities at 4,435 in the first half of 2026, up nearly 37% from 2,242 a year earlier. Security incidents fell from 2,242 to 2,199 over the same period, suggesting that attacks became more lethal.¹

Republicans argue that Nigeria’s designation by the Trump administration as a Country of Particular Concern over religious-freedom violations has not yet translated into sufficient protection. Representative Riley Moore said there were “certainly some positive signs,” including cooperation against Fulani militants and the detention of a suspected terrorist leader, but added: “Steps are not results.”¹ For lawmakers including Bill Huizenga and Chris Smith, the test is whether attacks stop and displaced people can safely return home.

State Department officials offered a more qualified assessment. Frank Garcia said Washington is pursuing “direct, results-oriented diplomacy” through a joint U.S.-Nigeria working group focused on security deployments, faster responses to threats, biometric information-sharing and action against terrorist financing.¹ Yet Garcia also conceded that the pace of progress was “insufficient” and that “the violence has not stopped.”¹

The two sides therefore share the view that the crisis remains acute, while disagreeing over how much credit current engagement deserves. Officials cite channels of cooperation and technical support; lawmakers say those measures must yield tangible security gains. The dispute also extends to Nigeria’s blasphemy laws, which U.S. officials say can be used against people discussing Islam or expressing their faith.²

For Republicans, diplomatic designation is a starting point rather than an end point. For the State Department, it is a framework for sustained pressure—one that officials acknowledge has yet to match the scale of the violence.