A member of the United States Congress, Riley Moore, has alleged that Christians in Nigeria have borne a disproportionate share of violent attacks over the past two decades, urging stronger American intervention and conditional bilateral engagement.
Speaking on Nigeria’s security challenges, Moore stated that while violence affects citizens of all faiths, Christians are allegedly the primary victims. He claimed that Christians are significantly more likely to be killed than adherents of other religions and accused armed Fulani militias and terrorist organisations of frequently targeting Christian communities.
According to Moore, attacks often involve assaults on pastors and priests, as well as the burning of churches and schools, sometimes on religious holy days. He further alleged that such violence has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.
Moore commended former U.S. President Donald Trump for what he described as a demonstrated willingness to defend Christians globally. He argued that this posture presents an opportunity to strengthen relations between Washington and Abuja while confronting Nigeria’s security crisis.
While acknowledging that Nigeria requires international support to address insecurity, Moore maintained that the administration of President Bola Tinubu must demonstrate stronger political resolve. He called for measurable commitments from Nigeria as a condition for deeper bilateral cooperation.
Among the measures he proposed are co-funding humanitarian assistance prioritising affected Christian communities in the Middle Belt, implementing early-warning systems to prevent attacks, deploying armed security forces to vulnerable areas, and facilitating the return of displaced persons to their homes. He also called for the removal of armed groups from allegedly confiscated farmlands.
Moore further urged the consideration of sanctions and visa restrictions against individuals accused of perpetrating or enabling violence against Christians. He advocated using trade and diplomatic leverage to encourage compliance and pressed for intensified efforts to disarm armed Fulani groups, which he alleged are heavily implicated in attacks.
He emphasized that any expanded partnership should depend on verifiable evidence that Nigerian authorities are making tangible progress in protecting vulnerable communities and stabilizing affected regions.
