Republican lawmaker Riley Moore recounts visiting displaced Christian families and witnessing evidence of targeted killings by militants.
Congressman Riley Moore declared that Christians in Nigeria endure systematic slaughter after personally visiting camps housing displaced families.
“I saw it firsthand,” Moore stated in recent remarks.
“Christians are being slaughtered in a deliberate and ongoing campaign by Fulani militants and ISIS affiliates.”
The West Virginia Republican has emerged as a leading voice on the issue.
Consequently, he urged the Trump administration to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for religious freedom violations.
Furthermore, Moore cited advocacy reports estimating over 7,000 Christian deaths in 2025 alone.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump responded decisively.
On Christmas Day, he authorized Tomahawk missile strikes on ISIS camps in northwest Nigeria’s Sokoto State.
Trump described the operation as a direct counter to militants “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”
U.S. Africa Command confirmed the strikes killed multiple terrorists and occurred in full coordination with Nigerian authorities, who provided intelligence.
However, the broader conflict draws mixed interpretations.
While advocates like Moore and groups such as Intersociety frame much of the violence as faith-based persecution, mainstream analysts note that northwest Nigeria remains predominantly Muslim.
There, banditry, insurgency, and resource disputes claim victims across communities.Nevertheless, Moore praised the strikes as long-overdue action.
He emphasized that previous years saw unchecked attacks on Christian villages during holidays.
As international attention grows, experts warn that military interventions alone cannot resolve deep-rooted issues like poverty and governance gaps fueling the unrest.
