United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has criticized President Bola Tinubu for denying the existence of religious persecution in Nigeria, noting that 19,000 churches have been burned, and millions displaced in what he called “deliberate campaigns of religious cleansing.”
Mr Moore, who stated this on Friday while introducing a congressional resolution condemning the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria, frowned at the continued enforcement of blasphemy laws, in violations of international human rights norms.
The lawmaker, who chairs the investigative committee set up by President Donald Trump to probe the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria, maintained the “the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian.”
Giving an insight into the resolution shared in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, Moore expressed Congress readiness to support Trump’s moves to end the existential threat that persecuted Christians face in Nigeria, noting that the resolution had been submitted and referred to the relevant House committees for necessary actions.
“I just introduced a resolution condemning the atrocities Christians are facing in Nigeria and supporting @POTUS’ efforts to defend Christians who are being slaughtered.”
According to him, more than 7,000 Christians have been killed in 2025 alone, translating to “35 murders each day,” while between 50,000 and 100,000 Christians have been killed since 2009.
“The attackers regularly target Christian holy days, such as the 2022 Pentecost massacre, the 2023 Christmas Eve massacre, and the 2025 Holy Week attacks. Priests, pastors, and seminarians are routinely targeted for kidnapping and killing, with more than 250 clergy killed in the past decade.”
Citing the murder of Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu on Ash Wednesday earlier this year, Moore insisted the killings were not random acts of violence but “targeted jihadist attacks.”
He accused the Nigerian government of repeatedly failing to respond to such attacks or hold perpetrators accountable.
“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 said.“He now has an opportunity to deepen and strengthen Nigeria’s relationship with the United States and, more importantly, do the right thing.”
The resolution recalled that Trump had, in 2020 and again in 2025, designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)” under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, enabling sanctions and other diplomatic measures against governments accused of violating religious freedom.
It also criticised the Biden administration’s 2021 decision to remove Nigeria from the CPC list, alleging that the move “coincided with a marked escalation in violence and persecution against Christians.”
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom was referenced for consistently recommending Nigeria’s redesignation as a CPC since 2009.
The resolution condemned the ongoing persecution and targeted killing of Christians in Nigeria by Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, and militant groups, as well as the Nigerian government’s failure to defend Christians.
It also expressed readiness to support Trump “in taking decisive action to end the existential threat that persecuted Christians face in Nigeria.”
The document cited the killings of Christians such as Rhoda Jatau and Deborah Yakubu, noting that perpetrators of such crimes often go unpunished.
The resolution concluded that global silence only emboldens extremist groups and called on the United States to raise its “moral voice” on behalf of persecuted Christians.
Moore thanked 20 co-sponsoring lawmakers and over 55 international and faith-based organisations that endorsed the resolution, including the American Centre for Law and Justice, CatholicVote, Faith & Freedom Coalition, Open Doors USA, and Heritage Action.
He added, “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.
“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.”
