US adds Nigeria to blacklist on religious freedom

Shares The United States on Monday placed Nigeria for the first time on a religious freedom blacklist, pressing an ally as Christian groups voice growing insecurity. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo designated Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern" for religious freedom, the rare inclusion of a fellow democracy in the US effort to shame nations into action. "These annual designations show that when religious freedom is attacked, we will act," Pompeo, an evangelical Christian, wrote on Twitter. Nigeria maintains a delicate balance between Muslims and Christians, but church groups have expressed their rising concerns to the United States. US law requires designations...