A member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, has expressed deep concern over recent attacks targeting Christians in Nigeria.
His remarks, shared on his X account on Friday, highlighted a series of troubling incidents, including the burning of St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Wukari, Taraba State, on March 4, and ongoing insurgent violence in the northeast.
Opening his post with a biblical reference, Moore emphasized the severity of the situation, “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. At a time like this, there is no greater comfort than the words of our Lord. Christians in Nigeria continue to be attacked for their faith. Recently, terrorists burned down St. Mary’s Cathedral in Wukari, Taraba State.”
He also pointed to the official stance of the United States on religious freedom in Nigeria.
“The United States has declared Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern and we won’t stand idly by as Christians continue to face this violence,” Moore stated.
In another post, Moore shared a report by security analyst Brant Philip regarding insurgent attacks in northeastern Nigeria.
The report cited a statement allegedly issued by Islamic State West Africa Province, claiming responsibility for attacks in Kirshinga. According to the statement, militants killed 27 Christians, burned 10 houses, and demanded that Christians either pay the jizyah tax, convert to Islam, or face death.
Moore stressed that these developments had been formally raised in a report submitted to the White House, calling for stronger measures.
“Christians continue to be explicitly targeted for their faith in Nigeria. ISIS West Africa is slaughtering Christians and telling other Christians they must convert or die. In our report to the White House, we made it clear that increased American support is contingent on the Nigerian government doing more to defend Christians. Now is the time for Abuja to step up,” he wrote.
The reposted report by Philip underlined the threats against Christian communities in the affected region, “ISWAP claimed the attacks in Kirshinga, northeast Nigeria, stating that they killed 27 Christians and burned 10 houses. They reiterate their call to Nigerian Christians to either pay the jizyah tax, convert to Islam, or be killed, which they describe as a ‘fair deal’.”
