US Lawmaker Accuses Nigeria of 'Christian Genocide', Urges Trump to Sanction Tinubu's Government

.... Rep. Riley Moore petitions Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, demands suspension of arms sales to Nigeria over alleged persecution of Christians - but Tinubu's aide fires back, says the claim is false and politically motivated.

The United States lawmaker representing West Virginia's Second District, Rep. Riley M. Moore, has stirred fresh controversy after accusing the Nigerian government of overseeing what he described as an ongoing Christian genocide across several parts of the country.

In a letter dated October 6, 2025, addressed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and copied to former President Donald Trump, Moore urged the US government to immediately designate Nigeria as a "Country of Particular ConcernÔÇØ (CPC) - a diplomatic tag reserved for nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom.

According to Moore, the Nigerian government has allegedly failed to protect Christians from what he called "Muslim extremist groupsÔÇØ, claiming that over 7,000 Christians were murdered between January and September 2025 alone. He further alleged that at least 250 Catholic priests have been killed or attacked since 2015, and that 19,100 churches have been attacked or destroyed between 2009 and 2025. genocide

The lawmaker called for the immediate suspension of US arms sales and military support to Nigeria "until the Nigerian government demonstrates sufficient commitment to ending the reign of persecution and slaughter.ÔÇØ

Old Accusations, Renewed Tension

This is not the first time the United States has been entangled in Nigeria's religious and human rights controversies. During Donald Trump's first tenure, Nigeria was indeed listed as a Country of Particular Concern, but President Joe Biden later removed Nigeria from that list - a move that drew criticism from American conservatives who argued that religious persecution had not stopped.

Notably, US Senator Ted Cruz, TV host Bill Maher, and political commentator Van Jones have all echoed similar sentiments, describing the killings of Christians in Nigeria as "systematic and genocidal.ÔÇØ

In a recent podcast, Cruz stated that "Christians are being hunted down and killed in Nigeria for their faith,ÔÇØ calling on the White House to "act decisively before it's too late.ÔÇØ

Tinubu's Government Fumes: "Baseless, Divisive, and DangerousÔÇØ

Responding to the renewed allegations, Mr. Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, dismissed the claims as "baseless, misleading, and capable of inciting division.ÔÇØ

He described Moore's letter and similar Western commentaries as "a calculated attempt to paint Nigeria in a false light and destabilize a country that is still recovering from years of insecurity.ÔÇØ

"Nigeria is not at war with any religion,ÔÇØ Dare said. "These orchestrated claims of genocide are unfounded and politically motivated. We urge both Nigerians and the international community to reject attempts to robe this country with a garment that is not hers.ÔÇØ

Despite the rebuttal, Moore's petition has already sparked intense debate across political and diplomatic circles, with analysts warning that the move could strain US-Nigeria relations if Trump, now a frontrunner in the 2026 US race, decides to act on the recommendations.

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