A member of the United States House of Representatives from West Virginia’s Second District, Riley M. Moore, has called on former President Donald Trump to push for Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) due to what he described as the widespread and deliberate persecution of Christians. In a letter dated October 6, 2025, addressed to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the congressman expressed deep alarm over the increasing attacks and killings of Christians in Nigeria, urging immediate diplomatic and policy responses from Washington.
Moore demanded that the U.S. government suspend all arms sales and related technical assistance to Nigeria until its authorities demonstrate genuine commitment to ending what he called “religiously motivated violence and mass slaughter.” He stressed that as a nation founded on biblical principles, the United States has a moral responsibility to defend Christian communities under threat globally. According to him, Nigeria has now become the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian, and America cannot afford to remain silent in the face of what he termed a humanitarian and moral crisis.
Citing figures from global watchdogs such as Open Doors, Moore revealed that over 7,000 Christians had been murdered across Nigeria in 2025 alone, averaging about 35 deaths daily. He added that more than 19,000 churches have been attacked or destroyed since 2009, while at least 850 Christians remain held captive by extremist groups. The lawmaker accused notorious terrorist organizations like Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa, and Ansaru of spearheading these atrocities, but also hinted at the possible complicity of “corrupt elements” within the Nigerian government.
Moore’s letter further condemned the enforcement of anti-blasphemy laws and the closure of Christian orphanages in northern states such as Kano, describing these policies as part of an orchestrated campaign to erase Christian identity. He alleged that children from Christian orphanages were being forcibly reeducated as Muslims and criticized the federal government for maintaining anti-blasphemy statutes that have led to long prison sentences for individuals accused of insulting the Prophet Mohammed.
The congressman rejected claims by Nigerian authorities that terrorism affects all religions equally, asserting instead that Christians are “disproportionately targeted” in what he described as an ongoing genocide. He emphasized that the majority of these attacks were carried out by extremist groups with explicitly anti-Christian agendas and that Nigeria now hosts over 20 Islamic terror organizations linked to ISIS and other global jihadist networks.
Moore also accused the Nigerian government of turning a blind eye to the crisis and enabling corruption that fuels terrorism. He urged Secretary Rubio and former President Trump to restore the CPC designation on Nigeria, which was initially imposed under Trump’s administration but later removed by President Joe Biden in 2021.
In conclusion, Moore implored U.S. authorities to reimpose the CPC status and halt arms transactions with Nigeria until concrete evidence emerges that the government is taking meaningful steps to protect its Christian population. He maintained that America’s leadership must reflect its moral duty to defend persecuted believers, describing the situation as a test of U.S. commitment to religious freedom and human rights worldwide.