U.S. Representative Riley M. Moore, who serves West Virginia’s 2nd congressional district, has announced renewed congressional action into what he described as the escalating persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
In a public statement on Monday, Rep. Moore revealed that President Donald Trump has directed him and the House Appropriations Committee Republicans to investigate the issue, deepening Washington’s scrutiny of religious freedom violations in Africa’s most populous nation.
Rep. Moore said the committee would be hosting a roundtable as part of the investigation, highlighting the urgency with which congressional leaders are approaching the situation.
“President Trump asked me and @HouseAppropsGOP to investigate the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. We will never turn a blind eye to our brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer for their faith.”
U.S. Representative Rep. Riley M. Moore
The roundtable, scheduled for Tuesday, December 2, will bring together key members of Congress alongside experts from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and other organizations with deep knowledge of Nigerian security and human rights issues.
According to a statement from the House Appropriations Committee, the event will serve as a crucial fact-gathering platform that will feed into a full congressional report ordered by the President.
Committee Chairman Tom Cole and National Security Subcommittee Chairman Mario Díaz-Balart are expected to lead the discussions. Díaz-Balart, who has been vocal on international security and human rights matters, will be joined by members of the Foreign Affairs and Financial Services Committees, marking a bipartisan convergence on an issue that has drawn increasing international concern.
Spotlighting the Escalating Violence
The Appropriations Committee statement emphasized that the briefing aims to “spotlight the escalating violence and targeted persecution of Christians in Nigeria.” It also noted the government’s intent to outline actionable steps Congress can adopt to support ongoing efforts by the White House to protect vulnerable religious communities around the world.
Recent years have seen intensifying attacks on what many describe as Christian communities across parts of Nigeria, particularly in the northern and central regions.
Reports from international watchdog organizations indicate that violence—often carried out by extremist groups, armed militias, and criminal networks—has increasingly taken on religious dimensions. The Nigerian government has since faced robust criticism for failing to adequately curb the killings or prevent the systematic targeting of faith-based communities.
For the U.S. Congress, the briefing represents an important step toward shaping a coordinated policy response. Rep. Moore described the roundtable as part of ongoing work by the committee, suggesting that this marks a continuation—not the beginning—of congressional scrutiny.
The forthcoming report, he noted, will examine not only the frequency and scale of attacks but also the broader threat landscape affecting Nigeria’s stability and the security of its faith communities.
As the United States continues to position religious freedom as a key pillar of its international human rights agenda, the situation in Nigeria has emerged as one of the most critical flashpoints.
President Trump’s involvement brings additional political weight to the issue, aligning the investigation with a broader policy framework that emphasizes defending persecuted religious minorities worldwide.
Committee’s Report to Boost Protection of Christian Communities
The committee’s report, once completed, is expected to inform legislative proposals, funding decisions, and diplomatic strategies aimed at bolstering protections for Christian communities and other vulnerable groups.
The findings could also influence U.S.–Nigeria relations, especially at a time when the West African nation is grappling with security crises ranging from terrorism to communal conflicts.
USCIRF’s participation in the briefing underscores the gravity of the situation. The Commission, a federal body tasked with monitoring global religious freedom, has repeatedly cited Nigeria as one of the world’s most troubling hotspots for faith-based violence.
Its experts are expected to present firsthand assessments and recommendations based on years of tracking religious persecution in the region. While the Appropriations Committee’s statement does not reveal the full list of presenters, it noted that the discussion will incorporate insights from multiple experts.
Their testimonies are anticipated to cover the historical patterns of violence, the rise of extremist movements, the failures of law enforcement, and the humanitarian implications for affected communities.
Rep. Moore, who has positioned himself as a vocal advocate for international religious freedom, framed the congressional effort as a moral duty. “We will never turn a blind eye,” he wrote, echoing a sentiment shared by several members of Congress who view the protection of religious minorities as a bipartisan responsibility.
Tuesday’s briefing is expected to set the stage for further congressional action in the coming months. Once the report mandated by President Trump is completed, lawmakers anticipate pushing for concrete policy measures to support Nigeria’s security efforts, hold perpetrators accountable, and expand humanitarian assistance to affected Christian communities.
As Nigeria continues to confront mounting insecurity, the U.S. investigation adds a new international dimension to the pressure on Nigerian authorities to respond decisively. With intensified attention from Washington, advocates hope that the plight of the alleged persecuted Christians will receive the urgent global focus it demands.
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