US officials told Congress on Thursday, November 12, that violence against Christians in Nigeria had not abated, a year after President Donald Trump again designated Nigeria a “country of particular concern” (CPC) over religious freedom.

Chris Smith, chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, led a hearing to examine Nigeria’s response to attacks on vulnerable communities since the designation. He described it as a “wake-up call for Nigeria” and urged the government to protect religious believers, particularly Christians, from attacks by armed groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province.

Riley Barnes, a US State Department official responsible for democracy, human rights and labour, said Nigeria had taken steps to curb the violence but that those efforts had yet to improve safety for Christian communities in the Middle Belt. “There are still rising death tolls and kidnappings. So, I think we have this posture of trust but verify,” Barnes said.

Frank Garcia, a State Department official responsible for African affairs, said the department had worked closely with Nigerian authorities to address attacks on Christian communities and hold those responsible to account. He said the violence had continued despite those efforts.

Republican Representative Riley Moore called for the US to retain Nigeria’s designation and closely monitor the country’s upcoming presidential election.

“We cannot take this CPC designation off this country. They have not done enough,” Moore said. Smith said Congress would consider what further measures were needed to curb the violence and prevent more attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria.

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New Orleans Mayor, Helena Moreno, has described as a miracle the successful rescue of passengers from the Mississippi River following a collision between a tanker ship and a cruise boat.

The mayor said all passengers were accounted for after the incident, which occurred when the tanker reportedly lost control and crashed into the cruise ship.

However, more than 30 of the 180 passengers rescued were taken to hospital for treatment. They are reportedly responding to medical care.

American Cruise Lines also confirmed that its riverboat, American Heritage, was involved in a collision while docked in New Orleans on Friday.

Emergency services were immediately deployed to the scene, where they carried out a major rescue operation that ended successfully.

Melanie Montroll, Chief Public Safety and Emergency Management Officer at the Port of New Orleans, said the boat began taking on water while passengers were being evacuated.

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The Presidency has come out to rubbish the story that some youths attacked the convoy of President Bola Tinubu in Abuja.

The claim came after a video started going round on Friday, showing a group of young men throwing stones at a motorcade many believed belonged to the President.

Reacting to the clip, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital Engagement, Strategy and New Media, O’tega Ogra, said what was being shared online is false.

According to him, the video does not reflect what actually took place after the President observed Juma’at prayers at the Shagari Central Mosque in Area 1.

In the trending clip, some of the youths could be heard shouting “Ba ma yi, ba ma so.” In Hausa, that means “we do not want you, we do not support you.” They were also seen throwing stones in the direction of the convoy.

Ogra said the whole narrative was put together by the opposition.

He took to his X page on Friday to share a different video. The new footage showed Tinubu coming out of the mosque after prayers, waving at supporters and walking calmly to his official car.

The President was seen in a white outfit with a black cap carrying his traditional insignia. Supporters around him were waving and taking pictures as he moved.

“Contrary to the narrative being pushed by the opposition, with videos of their alleged paid thugs at the National Mosque today, here is footage of Mr President leaving the mosque after Friday prayers this afternoon,” Ogra wrote in the post.

He maintained that Tinubu left the mosque without any incident and was not attacked by anybody.

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