A member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, has expressed concern about reported attacks on Christians in Nigeria, pointing to recent incidents including the burning of a church in Wukari and ongoing insurgent violence in the northeastern part of the country.
Moore shared his concerns in a series of posts on his X account on Friday.
Responding to reports that St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral, Wukari in Taraba State was set on fire on March 4, the US lawmaker began his statement with a biblical quote, saying the situation facing Christians in Nigeria remains troubling.
He stated that Christians in the country continue to face attacks because of their faith and referenced the recent destruction of the church in Wukari.
Moore also mentioned the position of the United States government on religious freedom concerns in Nigeria, noting that the country had previously been designated a “Country of Particular Concern.”
According to him, the United States cannot ignore reports of violence against Christian communities.
In another post, Moore shared a message originally posted by security analyst Brant Philip regarding insurgent activities in northeastern Nigeria.
The post referred to claims attributed to the militant group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), which allegedly took responsibility for attacks in Kirshinga in the region.
According to the claim cited in the repost, the militants said they killed 27 Christians and burned 10 houses. The statement also alleged that the group demanded that Christians either pay a religious tax known as jizyah, convert to Islam, or face death.
Moore said the issue had been highlighted in a report submitted to the White House, urging stronger action.
He argued that Christians in Nigeria were being deliberately targeted because of their beliefs and called for the Nigerian government to take more decisive steps to protect them.
Moore added that the report recommended that increased support from the United States should depend on greater efforts by the Nigerian government to defend vulnerable communities.
In the same discussion thread, Philip’s repost also claimed that the insurgent group had issued threats against Christian communities in the affected area.
According to the report, the group said it carried out attacks in Kirshinga, killing 27 Christians and burning several houses while repeating its demand that Christians either pay the jizyah tax, convert, or face execution.
