US Congress moves to block Nigeria aid over FG’s alleged failure to protect citizens 

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed an amendment aimed at increasing the withholding of certain American aid to Nigeria from 50 percent to a full 100 percent until the country takes significant actions to stop violence and protect its citizens.

This legislative change, proposed by Representative Gregory Steube, was approved through a voice vote on Wednesday.

Previously, the House had intended to freeze half of the allocated funding for Nigeria. Under that original proposal, the U.S. Secretary of State would need to confirm that the Nigerian government has made “effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable” before any funds could be released.

The newly adopted amendment escalates this penalty to a complete suspension of all funds, while keeping the same certification requirements intact.

In support of his amendment, Steube contended that withholding only 50 percent of the aid effectively rewards the Nigerian government “despite its failure to fulfill its basic duty to protect its citizens.”

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In his remarks backing the amendment, Steube declared, “I strongly support my amendment to raise the withholding level for assistance to Nigeria from 50 percent to 100 percent, while still requiring Nigeria to take meaningful actions to confront the ongoing violence and persecution that are ravaging the country.”

He also condemned the security situation in Nigeria, claiming, “The country has endured a devastating surge of violence that its corrupt government has not addressed.”