US lawmaker condemns persecution of Christians in Nigeria, backing Trump’s push for decisive action against growing attacks and government inaction
US lawmaker condemns persecution of Christians in Nigeria, introducing a congressional resolution to denounce the killings and express support for President Donald Trump’s planned intervention.
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Representative Riley Moore announced the move on Friday via his verified X handle, revealing that the resolution had been filed in the US House of Representatives and referred to the appropriate committee for review.
The document, titled “Condemning the persecution of Christians in Nigeria and supporting President Donald Trump in taking decisive action,” underscores growing concern over religious violence in the country.
Moore, who chairs Trump’s investigative committee on religious persecution in Nigeria, described the West African nation as “the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian.”
He claimed that more than 7,000 Christians had been killed in 2025 alone, amounting to an average of 35 deaths daily, while up to 100,000 had been killed since 2009.
He cited numerous attacks on churches and clergy, including the 2022 Pentecost massacre, the 2023 Christmas Eve massacre, and the 2025 Holy Week attacks. “These are not random acts of violence,” Moore said.
“They are targeted jihadist attacks.”
The lawmaker accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christian communities, referencing incidents where security warnings were allegedly ignored.
He also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s remarks denying the existence of religious persecution, arguing that such statements undermine accountability.
The resolution recalled that Trump had previously designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act, a classification that allows for sanctions against governments accused of violating religious freedoms.
It faulted the Biden administration for removing Nigeria from that list in 2021, alleging that the decision emboldened extremists.
In addition to condemning terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, the resolution criticised Nigeria’s enforcement of blasphemy laws, including those carrying the death penalty, as breaches of international human rights norms.
Moore thanked 20 co-sponsoring lawmakers and over 55 global organisations, including the American Centre for Law and Justice, CatholicVote, and Open Doors USA, for endorsing the resolution.
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“As I said at CPAC’s Ending Christian Persecution summit, I will never stay silent while Christians are being slaughtered for their faith,” he declared. “Now is the time to put on the full armour of God.”
