Alleged Christian genocide: ‘Designate Nigeria ‘Country of Particular Concern’, US lawmaker tells Trump
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A lawmaker representing West Virginia’s Second District in the United States House of Congress, Riley M. Moore, has written to President Donald Trump, calling on the US government to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, CPC, over what he described as the “systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians”.
The letter, dated October 6, 2025, was addressed to Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, urging the State Department to take swift diplomatic action against Nigeria and suspend arms sales until the Nigerian government demonstrates genuine commitment to ending religiously motivated violence.
In the letter, Rep. Moore wrote, “I write to urge you to take immediate action to address the systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians in Nigeria. As a Christian nation founded upon biblical principles, the United States bears a unique obligation to stand for the freedom and protection of Christians worldwide. Nigeria has become the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian, and the United States cannot stand idly by.
“I urge you to use all diplomatic tools available, including designating Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and halting arms sales and all associated technical support until the Nigerian government demonstrates it is sufficiently committed to ending this reign of persecution and slaughter.”
The congressman cited figures from Open Doors and other humanitarian reports, noting that over 7,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria in 2025 alone, averaging 35 murders per day. He added that 19,100 churches have been attacked or destroyed since 2009, while at least 850 Christians remain in jihadist captivity.
Moore accused terrorist groups such as Boko Haram, Ansaru, and ISIS-West Africa of leading the attacks but alleged that “corrupt cells” within the Nigerian government may be complicit. He also condemned the enforcement of anti-blasphemy laws and the closure of Christian orphanages in some northern states.
“In Northern states such as Kano, regional governments have backed and facilitated the closing of Christian orphanages and forced the children to be reeducated as Muslims. The Nigerian federal government also maintains and enforces anti-blasphemy laws, and several states within Nigeria have even harsher anti-blasphemy laws than the federal government. This includes sentencing an individual to 24 years in prison for “insulting the Prophet Mohammed,” he said.
He criticised the Nigerian government’s claim that terrorism affects all faiths equally, insisting that “Christians are far and away the most targeted for persecution and violence,” and describing the situation as a form of genocide.
“Additionally, this violence stems almost exclusively from Muslim groups and are explicitly anti-Christian. The attempt to diminish these facts do not speak well of the Nigerian government, nor does the prevalence of corruption that is complicit with terrorist acts. Nigeria is the headquarters of no less than 22 Islamic terror groups with links to ISIS and other broader networks. We cannot ignore the religious nature of this scourge of anti- Christian violence,” he added.
Moore urged Secretary Rubio and President Trump to reimpose the CPC designation that was first introduced under Trump’s administration but rescinded by President Biden in 2021.
“I urge you to redesignate Nigeria as a CPC without delay and withhold arms sales and all associated technical support until the Nigerian government has taken tangible steps to protect our brothers and sisters in Christ,” Moore concluded.
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