US Lawmaker Seeks Country Of Particular Concern Tag For Nigeria Over Alleged Christian Genocide.

Trump & Riley M. Moore.

Riley M. Moore, a member of the United States House of Representatives for West Virginia’s Second District, has written a letter to former President Donald Trump, calling on the US government to classify Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) due to what he described as the “systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians”.

The letter, dated 6 October 2025, was addressed to Marco Rubio, the United States Secretary of State.

In the letter, Moore appealed to the State Department to take prompt diplomatic steps against Nigeria and to suspend all arms transactions until the Nigerian authorities show a clear and genuine effort to put an end to religiously motivated violence.

Rep. Moore stated, “I write to urge you to take immediate action to address the systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians in Nigeria.”

He continued, “As a Christian nation founded upon biblical principles, the United States bears a unique obligation to stand for 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.”

“I urge you to use all diplomatic tools available, including designating Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and halting arms sales and all associated technical support until the Nigerian government demonstrates it is sufficiently committed to ending this reign of persecution and slaughter.”

The lawmaker referenced statistics from Open Doors and other humanitarian organisations, noting that more than 7,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria in 2025 alone, amounting to an average of 35 killings per day.

He also mentioned that 19,100 churches had been attacked or destroyed since 2009 and that at least 850 Christians are still being held by jihadist groups.

Moore attributed the majority of the attacks to terrorist organisations like Boko Haram, Ansaru, and ISIS-West Africa, but also alleged that “corrupt cells” within the Nigerian government might be involved.

He went further to denounce the enforcement of anti-blasphemy legislation and the closure of Christian orphanages in some parts of northern Nigeria.

“In Northern states such as Kano, regional governments have backed and facilitated the closing of Christian orphanages and forced the children to be reeducated as Muslims,” he wrote.

“The Nigerian federal government also maintains and enforces anti-blasphemy laws, and several states within Nigeria have even harsher anti-blasphemy laws than the federal government. This includes sentencing an individual to 24 years in prison for ‘insulting the Prophet Mohammed’,” he added.

Moore criticised the Nigerian government’s position that terrorism affects people of all faiths equally, asserting that “Christians are far and away the most targeted for persecution and violence” and describing the situation as a kind of genocide.

He further stated, “Additionally, this violence stems almost exclusively from Muslim groups and are explicitly anti-Christian.”

“The attempt to diminish these facts does not speak well of the Nigerian government, nor does the prevalence of corruption that is complicit with terrorist acts.”

He also noted that Nigeria is home to “no less than 22 Islamic terror groups with links to ISIS and other broader networks,” and warned that the religious motivations behind the violence should not be ignored.

Moore called upon Secretary Rubio and former President Trump to reinstate the CPC designation that had initially been introduced during Trump’s presidency but was reversed by President Biden in 2021.

He concluded, “I urge you to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC without delay and withhold arms sales and all associated technical support until the Nigerian government has taken tangible steps to protect our brothers and sisters in Christ.”