A United States congressman representing West Virginia’s Second District, Riley M. Moore, has appealed to former President Donald Trump to push for Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) due to what he described as the “systematic persecution and mass killing of Christians” in the country.
In a letter dated October 6, 2025, and addressed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Moore called for immediate diplomatic measures against Nigeria, including the suspension of arms sales and technical assistance, until the Nigerian government demonstrates genuine efforts to end what he termed religiously motivated violence.
> “I write to urge you to take immediate action to address the systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians in Nigeria,” Moore stated in the letter. “As a Christian nation founded upon biblical principles, the United States bears a unique obligation to defend the freedom and protection of Christians worldwide. Nigeria has become the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian, and the United States cannot stand idly by.”
Citing data from Open Doors and other humanitarian reports, Moore claimed that more than 7,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria in 2025 alone, averaging around 35 deaths per day. He further alleged that over 19,100 churches have been attacked or destroyed since 2009, with at least 850 Christians still held captive by jihadist groups.
The lawmaker accused terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram, Ansaru, and ISIS-West Africa of orchestrating the attacks, but alleged that corrupt factions within Nigeria’s government might be complicit in the violence. He also criticized what he described as state-backed violations of religious freedom, including the closure of Christian orphanages and the enforcement of anti-blasphemy laws in some northern states.
> “In northern states like Kano, authorities have shut down Christian orphanages and forced the children to be reeducated as Muslims,” Moore wrote. “The federal and state governments continue to uphold anti-blasphemy laws, with some states imposing even harsher penalties than the national government—such as sentencing individuals to decades in prison for alleged insults against the Prophet Mohammed.”
Moore dismissed the Nigerian government’s claims that terrorism affects all religious groups equally, insisting that Christians remain the primary targets of extremist attacks. He described the situation as “a form of genocide,” noting that most of the violence originates from “Muslim extremist groups driven by anti-Christian motives.”
> “Nigeria is now home to no fewer than 22 Islamic terror groups affiliated with ISIS and other global jihadist networks. Ignoring the religious dimension of this violence only emboldens it,” he warned.
The congressman urged Secretary Rubio and former President Trump to reinstate Nigeria’s CPC designation, which was first imposed during Trump’s presidency but lifted in 2021 under President Joe Biden.
> “I strongly urge you to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern without delay,” Moore concluded, “and to halt arms sales and related technical support until the Nigerian government takes concrete steps to protect Christians from persecution and violence.”
