On Monday, the United States House Committees on Appropriations and Foreign Affairs formally presented a report to the White House detailing their findings and recommendations concerning the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
The submission comes after President Donald Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.
Subsequently, the President mandated Congressman Riley Moore and the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Tom Cole, to head a comprehensive inquiry into the reported targeting of Christian communities by terrorist groups, as well as the broader security challenges facing Nigeria. Moore confirmed the presentation of the report in a post on his X handle, @RepRileyMoore, on Monday evening. As part of the inquiry, Moore led a bipartisan congressional delegation on a fact-finding visit to Nigeria. The delegation visited Internally Displaced Persons camps in Benue State, met with victims of terrorism, and held discussions with Nigerian government officials led by the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.
According to Moore, the report’s conclusions were drawn from months of investigation, including interviews with expert witnesses, a hearing and roundtable session, two on-the-ground assessments conducted by bipartisan congressional delegations to Nigeria, consultations with religious leaders, meetings with Internally Displaced Persons, and close collaboration with the Trump administration.
“Today, Congressman Riley M. Moore joined members of the House Committees on Appropriations and Foreign Affairs at the White House to formally present the comprehensive report outlining concrete actions to end the persecution of Christians in Nigeria and counter growing extremist violence in the region,” Moore said.
“This report is the result of months of investigation, including a bipartisan congressional fact-finding trip to Nigeria, hearings with expert witnesses, consultations with religious leaders, meetings with Internally Displaced Persons, and engagement with senior Nigerian government officials,” he added. Moore said the U.S. delegation now has what he described as a clearer grasp of the security challenges in Nigeria and the alleged persecution of Christians. He called on the Nigerian government to take advantage of the moment to further deepen and reinforce its ties with the United States.
The report puts forward several recommendations, including the creation of a bilateral U.S.–Nigeria security pact focused on safeguarding vulnerable Christian communities and dismantling jihadist networks. It also suggests withholding certain U.S. funds until the Nigerian government shows measurable progress in curbing violence against Christians.
Additional proposals include imposing sanctions and visa bans on individuals and groups found responsible for or complicit in religious persecution, as well as offering technical assistance to help Nigeria address violence linked to armed Fulani militias.
The report also advocates repealing Sharia and blasphemy laws and encourages collaboration with international partners such as France, Hungary, and the United Kingdom. “Our brothers and sisters in Christ have suffered in silence for too long. The world is now watching, and I urge the Nigerian government to take the opportunity to deepen and strengthen its relationship with the United States.
“Doing so is in the interest of both our great nations. Together, we must address these pressing security challenges and bring an end to violence against Christians,” Moore added.
See full report below:
