United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has accused the Federal Government of failing to protect Christians despite receiving billions of dollars in military aid from Washington.
Moore, who leads the committee set up by US President Donald Trump to investigate alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria, spoke during an interview on The Dinesh D’Souza Show on Thursday night.
He said Christians in Nigeria continued to face attacks despite years of international assistance meant to improve the country’s security.
“My brothers and sisters in Christ are murdered for practising their faith and belief in our Lord Jesus Christ,” Moore said. “If we don’t address this, if we don’t do something about this, and some terrorists take hold in Nigeria, I promise you, we would have to address it one way or the other.”
He added that his goal was for the United States to work with Nigeria to end the killings.
Moore accused the Federal Government of not prioritising the safety of Christians despite access to training, weapons, and funding from the US.
“I think there is a potential very quickly to partner, and I am hoping they would partner with the US government to address this because we have been providing them billions of dollars worth of security assistance. They have been granted training and equipment, yet the situation remains unresolved,” he said.
Describing the violence as a “forgotten genocide,” the lawmaker said the problem had been ignored for too long.
“The pieces are in place to address this; it has been flying under the radar, and nobody has cared about this for a very long time. But if we are not going to stand up for this — for the very values we have as Christians — then what are we doing?” he added.
Moore said he would soon present a report on the situation to President Trump. “Thank you, President Trump, for your incredible leadership in defending persecuted Christians, especially in Nigeria. I am on it and will have more for you soon,” he wrote.
President Trump also repeated his warning that the United States could take action if the violence persists.
“Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria; thousands of Christians are being killed, and radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump said on his Truth Social page. “The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria and other countries.”
However, the Nigerian government has rejected the claims, saying the security challenges affect all citizens, regardless of religion.
Officials said Nigeria’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and that both Christians and Muslims have suffered from the violence caused by banditry, insurgency, and communal clashes.
