A member of the United States Congress, Representative Riley Moore, has alleged that Christians in Nigeria have suffered a disproportionate share of violent attacks for more than two decades, urging firm American intervention and stricter conditions in bilateral relations to confront the crisis.
Speaking about what he described as deepening insecurity across the country, Moore acknowledged that violence affects Nigerians of various religious backgrounds but maintained that Christians are overwhelmingly targeted.
“Violence and insecurity in Nigeria affects people of all faiths, but Christians bear the overwhelming brunt of the attacks and have suffered in silence for two decades,” he said.
He further claimed that “Christians are five times more likely to be killed than any other religious group,” alleging that Fulani militias and extremist organisations repeatedly assault Christian communities.
“Fulani militias and terrorist groups constantly attack Christians, targeting pastors and priests, burning schools and churches, often on holy days. They have killed tens of thousands,” Moore claimed.
The congressman commended President Donald Trump for what he described as a readiness to defend Christians globally, arguing that the moment offers “a once-in-a-generation opportunity” to deepen ties between Washington and Abuja while directly confronting insecurity.
“President Trump’s decisive action and eagerness to defend Christians has created a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deepen and strengthen the relationship between our two nations and confront this crisis head on,” he said.
While acknowledging that Nigeria requires assistance to address its security challenges, Moore insisted that the administration of President Bola Tinubu must demonstrate stronger political commitment.
“The Tinubu government must demonstrate the political will to defend suffering Christians by allocating resources to immediately reduce and ultimately end this violence,” he stated.
Moore suggested that any bilateral agreement between the United States and Nigeria should be conditional on measurable actions taken by Abuja.
Among the steps he proposed were co-financing donor-supported humanitarian aid prioritising Christians in the Middle Belt, establishing early-warning systems to anticipate attacks, and deploying armed security forces to deter further violence.
He also called on Nigerian authorities to remove Fulani militias from seized agricultural lands and ensure that displaced residents can voluntarily return to their communities.
“But critically, all of this must be contingent upon the Nigerian government providing proof of progress that it is, in fact, working to stabilize the country and protect Christians,” Moore emphasised.
What You Should Know
Representative Riley Moore alleges that Christians in Nigeria have been disproportionately affected by violence for over 20 years.
He claims Fulani militias and extremist groups are largely responsible for attacks on Christian communities. Moore is urging President Donald Trump to impose sanctions, visa restrictions and other diplomatic measures against individuals linked to the violence.
He also wants any US-Nigeria agreement to depend on verifiable steps by President Bola Tinubu’s government to improve security and protect vulnerable populations.
