‘Act Now or We Will’ – US congressman warns Nigeria over rising killings

A United States Congressman, Riley Moore, has warned that Washington could take a more direct role in tackling Nigeria’s worsening security crisis if the Federal Government fails to swiftly curb ongoing killings across parts of the country.

Moore issued the warning during an interview with Newsmax on Wednesday, saying a report he recently submitted to the White House recommended “concrete actions” to address what he described as escalating violence against Christians in Nigeria.

According to the lawmaker, the report was prepared following a directive from US President Donald Trump asking him and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole to investigate alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

“This report that we presented to the White House was pursuant to the president asking myself and Chairman Tom Cole to investigate this Christian persecution and what I’ve been calling a genocide in Nigeria,” Moore said.

The congressman, who recently visited Nigeria, said he personally witnessed the scale of violence during the trip.

“We went there. I saw it with my own eyes, the tragedy and horror that’s unfolding there,” he said.

Moore cited several recent attacks to illustrate his concerns, including an incident during a Palm Sunday service in which he claimed about 40 people were killed, as well as another attack at a Christian wedding that reportedly left 13 people dead.

His comments come amid renewed violence in Plateau State, where at least 28 people were killed in Angwan Rukuba in Jos North Local Government Area. Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang described the attack as “tragic” and “senseless,” pledging that those responsible would be brought to justice.

The latest attack followed another deadly incident in Kanam Local Government Area where at least 20 security operatives and vigilantes were reportedly killed in an ambush, highlighting the persistent insecurity affecting communities across the state and neighbouring regions.

Moore warned that the United States could escalate its involvement if Nigerian authorities fail to respond decisively to the situation.

“As President Trump has been very clear on this, if they don’t address this, we’re going to address it for them,” he said.

“We’d like to do that in cooperation and coordination, but if they don’t step up to the plate here, we’re going to start to take the lead.”

The United States currently maintains a limited military presence in Nigeria, with about 200 personnel providing training and intelligence support to Nigerian security forces.

Moore noted that US military assets in the region include MQ-9 Reaper drones and referenced a Tomahawk cruise missile strike around Christmas targeting Islamic State and Boko Haram militants. Despite such efforts, he said extremist groups continue to operate “largely unfettered.”

“The Nigerian government has been trying to make some steps toward this, but they’re not doing it fast enough. Things aren’t happening quick enough, and these things keep happening,” he said. “Something’s got to give here.”

Moore also cited data from Open Doors, a global Christian charity, which ranks Nigeria as the seventh worst country for Christian persecution and attributes about 72 per cent of global Christian killings last year to the country.

However, the claims have generated debate. A report by The New York Times noted that some US lawmakers have “falsely claimed” that a Christian genocide is occurring in Nigeria, arguing that the violence is complex and affects people across different religious and ethnic groups. The Nigerian government has also repeatedly rejected allegations of genocide.

Reacting to the report, Moore criticised the newspaper, describing its position as “disgusting” and accusing it of failing to seek his input.

While acknowledging that multiple factors may contribute to the violence, the congressman insisted that extremist groups are deliberately targeting Christian communities.

“There is a systemic effort by Islamic radicals to eliminate Christian populations within Nigeria,” he said.

Moore had earlier warned that continued attacks on Christian worshippers during major religious holidays could strain diplomatic relations, as calls grow for stronger security measures and greater international cooperation to address Nigeria’s deepening security crisis.