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U.S. Congressman Riley Moore has praised President Donald Trump for designating Nigeria as a “country of particular concern,” following growing allegations of persecution and mass killings of Christians in the country, Very Nigerian reports.
Trump, in a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, claimed that Christianity was facing an “existential threat” in Nigeria, blaming radical Islamists for the widespread violence.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘country of particular concern,’” Trump wrote.
He added that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening” and vowed that his administration stand ready, willing, and able to save our great Christian population around the world.”
Reacting to the move in a post via his X handle, Moore commended Trump’s decision, describing it as a demonstration of strong leadership and a commitment to protecting persecuted Christians.
“Thank you, @POTUS, for your incredible leadership by designating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern,” Moore wrote in a post.
“You have always been a champion for Christians around the world, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with you and Chairman Cole (@houseappropsgop) to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ who are being slaughtered by radical Islamists in Nigeria,” he added.
Earlier reports shows that Moore had urged Secretary of State Marco Rubio to take immediate diplomatic action over what he described as the “systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians” in Nigeria, which he called the deadliest place in the world for followers of the faith.
In a statement on October 6, the lawmaker called for Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and for the suspension of arms sales until the Nigerian government demonstrates a “tangible commitment” to ending the violence.
“Nigeria has become the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian, and the United States cannot stand idly by,” Moore wrote.
Citing figures from Open Doors and other reports, he claimed that more than 7,000 Christians had been killed in 2025 alone and that “at least 19,100 churches have been attacked or destroyed since 2009.”
He alleged that “corrupt cells within the Nigerian government may be complicit” in some attacks, noting that
“In states such as Kano, regional governments have closed Christian orphanages and forced the children to be reeducated as Muslims,” he wrote, also citing harsh anti-blasphemy laws that include long prison sentences for “insulting the Prophet Mohammed.”
While acknowledging that Nigerians of all faiths face terrorism, Moore said Christians “are far and away the most targeted for persecution and violence.”
He claimed that Nigeria “is the headquarters of no less than 22 Islamic terror groups with links to ISIS and other broader networks,” stressing that “the attempt to diminish these facts does not speak well of the Nigerian government.”
He urged Rubio to “use all diplomatic tools available,” including halting military support, adding that the Biden administration’s reversal of Nigeria’s CPC designation “was a mistake.”
Responding to the allegation, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said that some US lawmakers are relying on inaccurate and misleading data to allege a so-called Christian genocide in Nigeria.
Speaking on CNN on Tuesday night, Idris described the claims by some foreign officials as “misleading and unreflective” of Nigeria’s complex security realities.
The minister reaffirmed that Nigeria remains firmly committed to upholding religious freedom, human rights, the rule of law, and democracy.
“Some of the claims made by officials of the United States are based on faulty data and the assumption that victims of violence are largely Christians.
“Yes, there are Christians being attacked, but these criminals do not target one religion; they attack both Christians and Muslims, especially in the northern part of the country,” Idris said.
The minister reaffirmed that Nigeria remains firmly committed to upholding religious freedom, human rights, the rule of law, and democracy.
“Some of the claims made by officials of the United States are based on faulty data and the assumption that victims of violence are largely Christians.
“Yes, there are Christians being attacked, but these criminals do not target one religion; they attack both Christians and Muslims, especially in the northern part of the country,” Idris said.
The minister warned that promoting such narratives could inadvertently embolden criminal groups whose goal is to incite religious tension and fuel animosity between Christians and Muslims in Nigeria.
