A U.S. congressman, Riley M. Moore, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of “downplaying” what he described as the massacre of 7,000 Nigerian Christians, alleging that corrupt elements within the Nigerian government may be complicit in the ongoing violence.
In a letter addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Mr Moore who represents West Virginia’s 2nd District urged the Trump administration to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious persecution and to suspend arms sales and technical assistance to the Nigerian government until it demonstrates commitment to ending the “reign of persecution and slaughter.”
“The Nigerian government has sought to downplay the genocide of Christians, arguing that Nigeria has a broader issue with terrorism that affects people of all faiths,” Mr Moore wrote.
“While Nigerians of all faiths face terrorism, Christians are far and away the most targeted. This violence stems almost exclusively from Muslim groups and is explicitly anti-Christian. The attempt to diminish these facts does not speak well of the Nigerian government, nor does the prevalence of corruption that is complicit with terrorist acts.”
The lawmaker described Nigeria as “the headquarters of no fewer than 22 Islamic terror groups” linked to ISIS and al-Qaeda networks. He cited Boko Haram, Ansaru, and ISIS-West Africa as major perpetrators, alleging that “corrupt cells of the Nigerian government may be directly involved in some attacks.”
Mr Moore further highlighted alarming statistics:
7,000 Christians killed in Nigeria in 2025 — an average of 35 per day.
19,100 churches attacked or destroyed since 2009.
250 Catholic clergy and 350 ministers from other denominations assaulted since 2015.
850 Christians currently held hostage by jihadist groups.
15 million people displaced by violence nationwide.
He noted that “more Christians are killed annually in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined,” citing figures from Open Doors International.
Mr Moore’s remarks come amid renewed debate in Washington following Senator Ted Cruz’s introduction of the “Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act”, which seeks sanctions against Nigerian officials accused of enabling persecution or enforcing blasphemy laws.
Tinubu, Presidency Reject Allegations
President Bola Tinubu, speaking over the weekend in Plateau State, dismissed allegations of Christian persecution as “false narratives” pushed by foreign interests.
“Nigeria is a proud, sovereign nation built on the faith and resilience of its people. Here, no faith is under siege. Our churches, mosques, and traditional shrines stand side by side as symbols of unity,” Mr Tinubu said.
“We must never allow outsiders to tell us who we are or sow division among us. We are Nigerians, and we will stand together.”
Presidential spokesperson Sunday Dare also denounced the claims as “wild allegations.”
“Orchestrating false narratives about an unproven genocide in Nigeria is unacceptable. We reject this attempt to clothe our nation with a garment that is not hers,” he said in a statement on Monday. See, More, Here>>>>
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