A United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has introduced a congressional resolution condemning the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria and supporting President Donald Trump’s efforts to tackle the crisis.
In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Moore said the resolution—titled “Condemning the persecution of Christians in Nigeria and supporting President Donald Trump in taking decisive action to end the existential threat against persecuted Christians”—was submitted to the House of Representatives and referred to the relevant committee.
Moore, who chairs Trump’s investigative committee on religious persecution, described Nigeria as “the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian.” He claimed that more than 7,000 Christians have been killed in 2025 alone—about 35 deaths daily—while between 50,000 and 100,000 have been killed since 2009.
According to him, 19,000 churches have been destroyed, and millions displaced in what he called “coordinated campaigns of religious cleansing.” He cited attacks targeting Christian holy days, including the 2022 Pentecost massacre, 2023 Christmas Eve massacre, and 2025 Holy Week attacks.
Moore accused the Nigerian government of failing to act or bring perpetrators to justice, referencing the murder of Fr. Sylvester Okechukwu on Ash Wednesday as an example of targeted jihadist violence.
He also criticised President Bola Tinubu for denying the existence of religious persecution, saying the president now has “an opportunity to strengthen ties with the United States and do the right thing.”
The resolution recalled Trump’s 2020 and 2025 designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)” under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998, a move that allows sanctions against countries violating religious rights. It criticised the Biden administration’s 2021 decision to remove Nigeria from the CPC list, claiming the action led to an escalation in violence.
The document condemned continued killings of Christians by Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other militant groups, along with the enforcement of blasphemy laws that violate international human rights standards. It also cited the murders of Rhoda Jatau and Deborah Yakubu, whose killers reportedly remain unpunished.
Moore thanked 20 co-sponsoring lawmakers and over 55 faith-based and international organisations for endorsing the resolution, including Open Doors USA, CatholicVote, and Faith & Freedom Coalition.
He concluded, “We will never stay silent while our brothers and sisters in Christ are slaughtered for their faith. The U.S. must act now and stand firm against persecution.”
