The Federal Government of Nigeria's $9 million lobbying deal with a Washington business has drawn harsh criticism from a U.S. congressional panel, which described it as an apparent attempt to downplay serious human rights abuses and religious freedom issues in the nation.

The House Subcommittee on Africa and the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere convened a combined hearing on Wednesday called "Defending Religious Freedom Around the World," where the criticisms were made, according to The PUNCH.

Former US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback and former US Commission on International Religious Freedom head Dr. Stephen Schneck also spoke during the session.

In the face of ongoing fatal violence against Christian communities, Chairman Chris Smith defended Nigeria's classification as a Country of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Act in October 2025, saying it was "long overdue."

Smith conveyed his profound discomfort with lobbying attempts to contest the designation.

"I would like to express to my colleagues my profound concern that Nigeria has paid $9 million, or $750,000 per month, to the lobbying firm DCI Group," the chairman bemoaned.

In order to influence Congress and the Executive Branch, a Nigerian billionaire has also signed a $120,000-per-month contract with the Washington-based consulting firm Valcour.

"They hire these firms; they write their very well-written talking points to say nothing here, and regrettably, these firms are just so good at advocating for their client's religious freedom."

Noting that violence affects both Muslims and Christians, Ranking Member Sara Jacobs questioned an unduly limited focus on Christian persecution.

Jacobs pointed out that the United States had cut hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid to Nigeria, including programs that support religious leaders and areas affected by war.

She mentioned the Community Initiatives to Promote Peace program's termination, which she claimed had contributed to a decrease in violence in some areas.

“Despite the administration’s apparent interest in addressing conflict and religious tensions in Nigeria, it has cut hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign assistance to Nigeria, including assistance to faith leaders and to communities experiencing violence in the Middle Belt,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs cautioned against reducing the crisis to purely religious terms, saying “The violence in Nigeria is complex, affecting both Christians and Muslims, and the drivers of this violence are multifaceted and cannot be reduced to a single framing.”

She added that “oversimplistic narratives can further inflame religious tensions in communities.”

The lawmaker also questioned recent US military strikes in Sokoto State, stating, “And yet, it is clear that President Trump only cares about Christians in Nigeria, and his only real action to address this problem, military strikes over Christmas, has not even done anything to materially help those communities.

Ex-chair USCIRF Schneck concurred, noting the strikes’ cost likely surpassed prior funding for interfaith and humanitarian efforts, and warning they could bolster militant groups.

“In fact, it occurs to me that the cost of the Tomahawk missiles that were sent probably exceeded the amount of money that had previously been going to Nigeria to improve interfaith relations and provide humanitarian assistance,” he said.

“So, it is very concerning to me. In fact, I suspect, really, that strikes like that, to the extent that they have any effect at all, would likely drive some of these more militant organisations together in greater unity and perhaps mobilise them in the future. So I think that the strike was a mistake,” Schneck added.

Schneck described Nigeria’s challenges as involving Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorism, farmer-herder clashes, banditry, organised crime, mass displacement, and “a corrupt and frankly, a failing government” unable to ensure security and justice.

Lawmakers debated the sufficiency of the CPC designation alone.

Rep. Jefferson Shreve questioned its impact, leading Brownback to insist it requires sanctions and tangible measures.

“Until you put some bite into it, most of these dictators are just going to thumb their nose at you,” Brownback said, pushing for Magnitsky sanctions and targeted penalties.

Schneck supported this, calling CPC listings mostly “name and shame” without real consequences.

While Rep. Bill Huizenga agreed that recent US measures had brought Nigeria back into the spotlight, Brownback expressed deep mistrust of the Federal Government for failing vulnerable people and eschewing power-sharing norms.

Brownback stated, "We have no reason to trust this government."

Widespread mistrust of Nigeria's multimillion-dollar lobbying efforts was evident during the session.

US President Donald Trump has previously threatened military involvement and referred to the situation of Christians in Nigeria as genocide.

Claims of genocide have been denied by the federal government, which admits significant security concerns but denies targeted extermination.

Despite tensions, US Africa Command worked with President Bola Tinubu's government to launch airstrikes against terrorist targets in Sokoto State on December 25.

Documents from January showed the Federal Government contracted DCI Group for $9 million to highlight Nigeria’s efforts protecting Christians.

According to documents filed with the US Department of Justice, DCI Group hired Nuhu Ribadu as a National Security Adviser for Kaduna-based Aster Legal.

On December 17, 2025, the agreement was signed.

Valcour also agreed to a $120,000-per-month deal with billionaire Matthew Tonlagha, vice-president of Tantita Security Services, to influence the Trump administration, Congress, and US media for six months "to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the US and Nigeria."

Matt Mowers, a former assistant at the State Department during Trump's first term, created Valcour in 2023.