A U.S. lawmaker, Riley Moore, has introduced a congressional resolution condemning the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria and backing former President Donald Trump’s efforts to address the crisis.
In a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Friday, Moore said the resolution titled “Condemning the persecution of Christians in Nigeria and standing ready to support President Donald Trump in taking decisive action to end the existential threat that persecuted Christians face in Nigeria” was submitted to the House of Representatives and referred to the appropriate committee for consideration.
“I just introduced a resolution condemning the atrocities Christians are facing in Nigeria and supporting @POTUS’ efforts to defend Christians who are being slaughtered,” Moore wrote.
Moore, who chairs Trump’s investigative committee on religious persecution in Nigeria, described the country as “the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian.”
According to him, over 7,000 Christians have been killed in 2025 alone — averaging “35 murders daily” — while between 50,000 and 100,000 Christians have died since 2009. He also claimed that 19,000 churches have been destroyed and millions displaced in what he called “a deliberate campaign of religious cleansing.”
He cited repeated attacks during Christian holy periods, including the 2022 Pentecost massacre, the 2023 Christmas Eve killings, and the 2025 Holy Week attacks. Moore said more than 250 priests, pastors, and seminarians had been murdered in the past decade.
Referring to the killing of Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu on Ash Wednesday, Moore argued that these were not random acts of violence but “targeted jihadist attacks.” He accused the Nigerian government of failing to respond adequately or prosecute perpetrators.
“Last month, a pastor in Plateau State warned of an impending Fulani attack. The Nigerian Army accused him of spreading fake news, and more than a dozen Christians were killed the next day,” he alleged.
Moore also criticised President Bola Tinubu for denying the existence of religious persecution, quoting the president’s September 2025 statement that “there’s no religious persecution in Nigeria.”
“He now has an opportunity to deepen and strengthen Nigeria’s relationship with the United States and, more importantly, do the right thing,” the lawmaker added.
The resolution referenced previous U.S. actions, recalling that Trump had designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)” in 2020 and again in 2025 under the International Religious Freedom Act — a move that allows sanctions against governments accused of violating religious freedom.
It faulted the Biden administration’s 2021 decision to remove Nigeria from the CPC list, claiming the delisting coincided with “a marked escalation in violence and persecution.” The document cited reports from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which has consistently recommended Nigeria’s redesignation since 2009.
The resolution condemned the ongoing killings by Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and other militant groups, while accusing the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christian communities. It also criticised Nigeria’s blasphemy laws, which in some cases carry the death penalty, as violations of international human rights standards.
Moore thanked 20 co-sponsoring lawmakers and over 55 international and faith-based organisations — including the American Centre for Law and Justice, Faith & Freedom Coalition, CatholicVote, Open Doors USA, and Heritage Action — for supporting the initiative.
“As I said at @CPAC’s Ending Christian Persecution summit: I will never stay silent as our brothers and sisters in Christ are being slaughtered for their faith,” he declared. “The U.S. will consider every option to protect vulnerable Christians from slaughter. Now is the time to put on the full armour of God.”
