By Ebi Kesiena
Despite repeated denials from the Nigerian government, United States Congressman Riley M. Moore has doubled down on his claim that over 7,000 Christians have been murdered in Nigeria this year.
In a recent interview with international media, Fox News, Rep. Moore described the situation as “a tragedy that has been going on for decades without anyone talking about it,” insisting that the violence amounts to a form of genocide against Christian communities.
The lawmaker, alongside Senator Ted Cruz, had earlier urged the U.S. government to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, CPC over alleged religious persecution and targeted killings.
However, presidential spokesperson Daniel Bwala has repeatedly dismissed such claims, maintaining that Nigeria’s security challenges are not religiously motivated but rather driven by criminality and terrorism affecting all citizens, regardless of faith.
Speaking the News, Moore said the scale of killings is alarming. “7,000 Christians have been murdered in Nigeria this year that’s about 35 per day. It’s a tragedy that cannot be ignored any longer,” he said.
He added that he has written to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging Washington to take decisive action, also calling for renewed U.S. engagement to protect religious minorities and address the worsening insecurity in Nigeria.
“It’s time we took a stand to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ,” Moore said,
