Despite repeated denials from the Nigerian presidency, a member of the United States Congress, Rep. Riley M. Moore, has maintained that Nigeria is facing a wave of violence targeting Christians, claiming that over 7,000 have been killed across the country in 2025 alone.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Rep. Moore described the killings as a “tragedy that has been going on for decades without enough attention,” insisting that the situation has reached a scale that demands urgent international response.
According to him, approximately 35 Christians are “murdered every day” in Nigeria, a figure he described as “horrific and unacceptable.” The lawmaker stated that he had written to the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, urging the redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under U.S. religious freedom laws.
“Seven thousand Christians have been murdered in Nigeria this year. That’s 35 Christians murdered per day. It’s a tragedy that cannot be ignored any longer,” Rep. Moore said. “That’s why I sent a letter to Secretary Blinken to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. It’s time we took a stand to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ.”
The call comes after Rep. Moore and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz jointly demanded renewed scrutiny of Nigeria’s human rights record and religious freedom situation.
In response, presidential media aide Daniel Bwala has consistently dismissed the genocide allegations, describing them as exaggerated and politically motivated. According to Bwala, the security challenges facing Nigeria affect citizens of all faiths and regions, not a particular religious group.
Bwala reiterated that the government remains committed to addressing insecurity through military operations, community engagement, and socioeconomic interventions aimed at tackling the root causes of violence.
The debate over Nigeria’s religious freedom status has persisted since the U.S. removed the country from its CPC list in 2021 — a decision that has drawn criticism from human rights groups and religious organizations.
As both sides continue to exchange claims and counterclaims, calls for an independent international assessment of the situation in Nigeria’s conflict-affected regions have intensified, with observers urging a balanced and evidence-driven approach to avoid deepening sectarian divides.
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