Congressman Riley Moore introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives condemning the systematic slaughter of Christians in Nigeria, supporting President Trump's redesignation of the nation as a Country of Particular Concern following what advocates describe as the deadliest period for Christian persecution in modern history.
The resolution highlights staggering violence statistics: between fifty thousand and one hundred thousand Christians murdered since Boko Haram's insurgency began in 2009, with over seven thousand killed in 2025 alone—averaging thirty-five deaths daily. More than nineteen thousand churches have been destroyed or attacked, while in Benue and Plateau states alone, over nine thousand five hundred people, mostly Christians, were killed between May 2023 and May 2025, with approximately five hundred thousand newly displaced from their homes.
"For far too long, the world has turned a blind eye to the suffering of innocent Christians—entire villages destroyed, churches burned, pastors tortured, families torn apart. This grave suffering must end now."
President Trump previously designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern in 2020, but President Biden removed the classification in 2021. Moore, who represents West Virginia's second district, has made Nigerian Christian persecution a central focus since entering Congress, delivering his first floor speech in April on the topic and sending letters to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging immediate action. Trump's October redesignation came after sustained pressure from Moore and religious freedom advocates.
The resolution documents deliberate campaigns of religious cleansing by Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province, and Fulani militant groups, noting attacks are coordinated during Christian holy days including the 2022 Pentecost Massacre, Christmas Eve 2023 killings, and Holy Week 2025 violence claiming hundreds of Christian lives. Moore emphasized these are not random intercommunal conflicts but systematic targeting based on religious identity, with the Nigerian government failing to protect Christian communities or hold perpetrators accountable.
Open Doors data indicates more Christians are killed annually in Nigeria than the rest of the world combined. President Trump tasked Moore alongside House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole to lead congressional investigations and develop policy recommendations. The House Appropriations Committee hosted a roundtable Tuesday with expert testimony from religious freedom advocates, examining legislative and diplomatic measures to respond to the crisis.
The resolution has garnered bipartisan support with nineteen original cosponsors including Representatives Wesley Hunt, Mary Miller, Andrew Clyde, and others from both parties. It calls on the United States government to use all available diplomatic, economic, and security tools to pressure Nigeria into ending impunity for perpetrators, protecting Christian communities, returning displaced persons to their homelands, and repealing blasphemy laws imprisoning individuals for their faith.
Moore condemned a recent attack on Saint Mary's Catholic School in Niger State where terrorists kidnapped over fifty students and teachers, writing that enough is enough and America must do everything possible to defend brothers and sisters in Christ. The Country of Particular Concern designation authorizes targeted sanctions, visa restrictions, and withdrawal of assistance, sending a clear message that the United States will not tolerate religious persecution. Advocacy organizations including ADF International have endorsed the resolution, praising congressional action to hold Nigeria accountable for severe violations of religious freedom.