NFL players call on Trump and Congress to address religious persecution in Nigeria

Some of the NFL’s top stars are calling on the Trump administration and Congress to do more to defend persecuted Christians and other religious groups in Nigeria, writing that they feel a “moral responsibility” to speak out “for those whose cries have gone unanswered.” 

New England running back TreVeyon Henderson, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy and Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud were among roughly 60 current and former NFL players who wrote to President Donald Trump and congressional leaders, warning “religious and ethnic persecution in Nigeria has reached a level that demands immediate, concrete action from the United States.”  

The Dec. 19 letter was also addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. 

“As current and former NFL players who care deeply about justice – here in America and around the world – we are grieved and outraged by the mounting violence, and we write to urge you to act now to confront religious persecution in Nigeria and ensure that those responsible are held to account,” the letter reads. 

Also signing the letter were New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston, Atlanta quarterback Kirk Cousins, Chicago quarterback Case Keenum, Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy and Benjamin Watson, a retired NFL player and editor-in-chief of Sports Spectrum. 

The letter describes Nigeria as the “most populous country in Africa and largest African diaspora population in the U.S.” 

“Nigeria is a key partner for American economic, cultural, and regional security interests,” it reads. “The NFL is also full of many players who come from Nigerian families. This wonderful country is a strategically important democracy and a nation of extraordinary beauty, rich culture, and resilient people. Yet for years, Nigerians of all faiths have endured relentless attacks, kidnappings, and killings by extremist groups and criminal networks exploiting ethnic and religious divides. This ongoing brutality not only devastates families and churches but also undermines regional stability and U.S. security and humanitarian interests.” 

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, the letter notes, has designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” due to a pattern of religious freedom violations. The advocacy group Open Doors reported that more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria “than in the rest of the world combined.” 

“Independent humanitarian and advocacy organizations consistently rank Nigeria among the most dangerous places in the world to live openly as a Christian,” the letter says. “These are not isolated incidents; they reflect a broader pattern of unchecked impunity. Despite years of escalating attacks, the Nigerian Army and security services have been ineffective. Not enough attention has been given – by either the U.S. or Nigerian governments – to the ethnic Fulani militias who are committing mass atrocities and displacing entire communities.”  

The letter says that a “new approach is urgently needed.” It asks D.C. leaders to consider taking seven specific actions: 

• “Position the intelligence community to better partner with Nigerian and local officials to effectively disrupt attacks and hold to account perpetrators from ethnic Fulani militias.” 

• “Condition U.S. military assistance and arms transfers on clear, measurable benchmarks, including timely responses to community distress calls, protection of villages and houses of worship, and transparent reporting on failures or complicity by security forces.” 

• “Support more local security structures, particularly the needed and long stalled police reform to support local policing and accountability that secures the peace and rights of all Nigerians, particularly those who are vulnerable to attacks.” 

• “Impose sanctions on Nigerian officials and non-state actors credibly implicated in attacks on religious communities or in obstructing justice.” 

• “Expand U.S. humanitarian assistance to the millions of displaced people in Nigeria, ensuring they receive food, shelter, trauma care, and protection.” 

• “Require public, quarterly reporting to Congress on incidents of ethnic and religious motivated violence, Nigerian government actions, and adjustments to U.S. assistance.” 

• “Fill the role of Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom at the U.S. State Department, so this official can help lead our government’s strategies in Nigeria.” 

Time, the letter says, is of the essence. 

“As men who have been entrusted with a public platform through the National Football League, we feel a moral responsibility to speak for those whose cries have gone unanswered for far too long,” the letter says. “We ask you, as leaders of this nation, to use the full weight of your offices to defend the fundamental right to live and worship freely and to send a clear message that the United States will not stand by while Nigerians are targeted, terrorized, and killed because of their faith. The lives at stake cannot wait.”