A United States congressman, Riley Moore, has alleged that Christians in Nigeria are facing widespread persecution, citing accounts of killings, church destruction and displacement gathered during a recent congressional visit to the country.
Speaking during an interview with American Catholic theologian Bishop Robert Barron, Moore criticised the administration of former US President Joe Biden over what he described as an inadequate response to concerns about religious violence in Nigeria.
He also questioned the decision to remove Nigeria from the United States Department of State’s list of Countries of Particular Concern regarding religious freedom violations.
Moore argued that explanations linking violence in parts of Nigeria primarily to climate change and farmer-herder tensions do not fully explain what he described as attacks directed at Christian communities.
According to him, such explanations fail to account for the scale of destruction reportedly experienced in affected areas.
During the interview, the lawmaker said he visited internally displaced persons camps in Benue State and met residents who shared accounts of attacks and personal losses.
He recounted testimonies from individuals who claimed to have lost family members during violent incidents.
Moore stated that some displacement camps had also reportedly experienced repeated attacks by armed groups, including factions linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State.
He described Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt as facing significant security challenges and called for greater international attention to the situation.
At the same time, he acknowledged that Muslims who oppose extremist groups have also suffered violence, stressing that all human lives are valuable.
The congressman disclosed that he was part of a US congressional delegation that visited Nigeria and met government officials in Abuja to discuss issues relating to insecurity and religious freedom.
According to him, recommendations from the visit included strengthening local security structures, imposing targeted sanctions on individuals linked to violence and expanding economic cooperation between both countries.
Moore also raised concerns about China’s activities in Nigeria, alleging that weak governance structures are being exploited to gain access to mineral resources, although no evidence was presented to support the claim.
Bishop Barron, during the discussion, expressed concern over what he described as limited global attention to insecurity in Nigeria despite its humanitarian impact.
Moore concluded by calling for sustained international engagement to improve security and protect vulnerable communities across the country.
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