A MEMBER of the United States House of Representatives, Riley M. Moore (R-W.Va.), has insisted that approximately 7,000 Christians have been killed across Nigeria so far this year, and is calling for Nigeria to be designated a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over what he describes as a genocide against Christians.
In an interview on Fox News monitored by News Point Nigeria, Moore stated that the killings have been ongoing for decades with little international attention.
He said: “7,000 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.”
Moore added that he has written to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging a redesignation of Nigeria as a CPC, citing his belief that Nigerian Christians face systematic persecution and even state-complicity in attacks.
The Nigerian government and its advisory officials have vigorously rejected these allegations. A spokesperson for the Foreign Affairs Ministry described Moore’s claims as “false and misleading,” emphasizing that Nigeria’s security challenges affect people of all faiths and are not directed solely at Christians.
Moore and his allies reference a report by the Nigerian NGO International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) which claims that 7,087 Christians were killed in the first 220 days of 2025, equating to a daily average of 32 deaths.
Other supporters of the claim point to widespread attacks in the Middle Belt, where militant raids on Christian-majority farming communities have killed scores of civilians, displaced thousands, and destroyed churches and homes.
Nigeria’s information minister has stated that the situation is being misrepresented and that violence is not based simply on religious identity but also on ethnicity, land disputes, and criminality.
Analysts agree that Nigeria’s security crises are highly complex: insurgency in the northeast, banditry in the northwest, communal violence in the Middle Belt, all contribute to a volatile context.
If Nigeria is designated a CPC by the U.S. State Department, it could trigger arms restrictions, cutbacks in security assistance, and diplomatic pressure. Moore warned that Nigeria must show “tangible steps” to protect religious minorities or face consequences.
Moore’s letter and calls align with similar efforts by Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, seeking sanctions against officials allegedly enabling violence against Christians.
The Nigerian Senate, meanwhile, has introduced a motion urging the international community to avoid simplistic narratives of “Christian genocide” and to recognise the broader context of violence across faiths and regions
