American legislator sounds warning over reported persecution of Christian community in Nigeria

Riley Moore, a member of the United States House of Representatives, has expressed concern over the reported attacks on Christians in Nigeria, citing incidents such as the burning of a church in Wukari and insurgent violence in the northeast, in a series of posts on his X account on Friday.

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Moore's remarks came in response to reports of the burning of St. Mary’s Catholic Cathedral in Wukari on March 4, to which he reacted by referencing a biblical quote, stating that the situation facing Christians in Nigeria remains deeply troubling.

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He quoted, “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” and added that at a time like this, there is no greater comfort than the words of the Lord, highlighting the continued attacks on Christians in Nigeria.

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Moore noted that Christians in Nigeria continue to be attacked for their faith, citing the recent burning of St. Mary’s Cathedral in Wukari, Taraba State, by terrorists, which exemplifies the violence faced by Christians in the country.

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The US lawmaker also referenced the United States government's stance on religious freedom concerns in Nigeria, stating that the country has been declared a Country of Particular Concern, and emphasizing that the US will not stand idly by as Christians continue to face violence.

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In another post, Moore shared a claim by security analyst Brant Philip regarding insurgent violence in northeastern Nigeria, which included a statement allegedly from Islamic State West Africa Province, claiming responsibility for attacks in Kirshinga.

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According to the claim, the militants said they killed 27 Christians, burned 10 houses, and demanded that Christians either pay the jizyah tax, convert to Islam, or face death, highlighting the explicit targeting of Christians in the region.

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Moore stated that this matter had been raised in a report submitted to the White House, calling for stronger action to be taken, and emphasizing that increased American support is contingent on the Nigerian government doing more to defend Christians.

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He emphasized that now is the time for the Nigerian government to step up and take action to defend Christians, as ISIS West Africa continues to slaughter Christians and issue threats to other Christian communities.

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In the same thread, the reposted report by Philip stated that the insurgent group had openly issued threats against Christian communities in the affected area, reiterating their call to Nigerian Christians to either pay the jizyah tax, convert to Islam, or be killed.

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Philip's report quoted the insurgent group as describing this as a ‘fair deal’, highlighting the dire situation faced by Christians in the region, with the group claiming to have killed 27 Christians and burned 10 houses in Kirshinga, northeast Nigeria.