A United States congressman, Riley Moore, has alleged that Christians in Nigeria are facing widespread persecution, recounting what he described as first-hand accounts of killings, church burnings and forced displacement during a congressional visit to the country.
Moore made the remarks during an interview with American Catholic theologian, Bishop Robert Barron, in which he criticised the administration of former US President Joe Biden for what he described as its failure to adequately respond to religious violence in Nigeria.
The lawmaker also accused the Biden administration of removing Nigeria from the United States Department of State’s list of Countries of Particular Concern over religious freedom violations.
Moore faulted explanations that linked violence in parts of Nigeria primarily to climate change and farmer-herder conflicts.
According to him, such explanations failed to account for the scale of destruction allegedly targeted at Christian communities.
“That does not explain burning down over 20,000 churches. That doesn’t explain killing men, women and children,” Moore said.
The congressman claimed the previous US administration had “absurdly” downplayed what he described as the systematic targeting of Christians.
Moore said he visited internally displaced persons camps in Benue State where he met survivors who recounted traumatic experiences.
According to him, one woman told the delegation she witnessed the killing of her husband and two children before her unborn child was also lost.
He added that another victim reportedly lost all five of her children during attacks.
The lawmaker alleged that some camps housing displaced persons had also come under repeated attacks from armed groups, including factions linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State.
Moore described Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt as facing serious threats from extremist groups.
“It’s not even close, Christianity is the most persecuted faith on the planet right now,” he said.
He argued that the religious dimension of the violence should not be ignored, pointing to extremist ideologies that target Christian communities.
At the same time, Moore acknowledged that Muslims who oppose Boko Haram and other extremist groups have also been victims of violence.
“All lives are sacred,” he said, while maintaining that Christian communities remained disproportionately affected.
The West Virginia lawmaker disclosed that he was part of a congressional delegation that visited Nigeria and met government officials in Abuja.
According to him, the delegation included senior US lawmakers and was dispatched following concerns about religious freedom and insecurity.
Moore said President Donald Trump had redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and publicly announced plans for him to investigate the situation and submit recommendations.
He added that the delegation travelled under heavy security, including the use of armoured convoys.
The congressman said recommendations submitted after the visit included strengthening local security structures, imposing targeted sanctions on individuals linked to violence and expanding economic cooperation between the United States and Nigeria.
He also raised concerns about China’s activities in Nigeria, alleging that Chinese interests were exploiting weak governance structures to gain access to valuable mineral resources.
Moore accused Beijing of engaging in illegal mining activities and supporting conditions that undermine security and stability, although he did not provide evidence to support the claims.
During the discussion, Bishop Barron lamented what he described as the limited international attention given to the security crisis in Nigeria despite its severity.
He compared the situation to past humanitarian tragedies that failed to attract timely global intervention.
Moore said the issue of Christian persecution remains a matter of deep personal concern and called for greater international engagement to address insecurity and protect vulnerable communities across Nigeria.
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