U.S. Lawmaker Exposes Firsthand Account of Christian Killings in Nigeria

Washington, D.C. – January 6, 2026

U.S. Congressman Riley M. Moore of West Virginia has given a harrowing firsthand account of escalating violence against Christians in Nigeria, following a congressional delegation visit to the country in December.

Speaking during an interview on Newsmax, Moore described scenes of extreme brutality, displacement, and targeted religious persecution that he says contradict attempts to downplay the crisis in some quarters.

Moore, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee, explained that the trip was undertaken at the instruction of President Donald Trump, who tasked him and Committee Chairman Tom Cole with investigating the situation on the ground.

The visit came amid years of sustained attacks on churches, clergy, and Christian communities across Nigeria, particularly in the Middle Belt and northern regions, where armed groups linked to Fulani Islamic terrorists and ISIS affiliates operate freely.

According to Moore, meetings with internally displaced persons in refugee camps left a lasting impact. Describing the experience as “just absolutely heartbreaking,” he recounted meeting a woman whose five children were murdered in front of her by Fulani terrorists. Pregnant at the time, she escaped and later gave birth in an Internally Displaced People’s (IDP) camp.

He also described another woman who watched her husband and two daughters killed, while the attackers also murdered her unborn child.

“I mean this is the most barbaric violence that you can imagine,” Moore said, emphasizing that the atrocities went beyond sporadic conflict and amounted to systematic targeting. He cited a recent statement issued by ISIS, which reportedly warned Christians in Nigeria to convert, die, or pay a tax to live under an imposed caliphate.

The congressman strongly rejected narratives framing the violence as merely the result of climate change, land disputes, or communal clashes.

Drawing from what he witnessed personally, Moore said the attacks are unmistakably focused on Christian communities. He pointed to the burning of churches, repeated assaults on IDP camps, and explicit threats from jihadist groups as evidence of religious persecution.

“So for all the naysayers that say this isn’t about persecution of Christians and they’re not being targeted, then why are they burning down churches? Why are they targeting IDP camps? Why is ISIS saying convert or die?

You’re going to see stories come out from the left, from the Democrats, from the liberals, saying no no no this is about climate change and land disputes and you know this isn’t about Christian persecution, I am telling you as somebody who was on the ground, this is Christian persecution that is happening in Nigeria.”

Moore also addressed recent U.S. military action, revealing that a coordinated strike carried out on December 25 was done in cooperation with the Nigerian government.

“So we are moving in a positive direction in all of this. I think there’s going to be a strategic security framework that’s going to be set up at some point here soon in between our two countries that is in the works. Where we will be able to do some capability gap fillers for the Nigerians and their military, and then also provide the type of support like we did on Christmas.”

According to him, the United States launched 12 Tomahawk cruise missiles against terrorist targets, marking a significant shift in response. He noted that for the first time in two years, Christmas Day passed without mass killings of Christians. Instead, he said, terrorists “paid the price.”

President Donald Trump, Moore indicated, has taken a direct interest in the crisis, prompting closer U.S.-Nigeria security coordination.

During the interview, Moore referenced photographs taken at the IDP camps, including images of the woman who lost her five children. He stressed that many displaced Christians remain unsafe even in camps, as Fulani terrorists continue to launch attacks on these supposed places of refuge.

While acknowledging that Nigerians of different backgrounds have been killed in the conflict, Moore maintained that Christians are being deliberately singled out. “As someone who was on the ground,” he said, “this is Christian persecution happening in Nigeria.”

The interview comes amid recent bombings and attacks targeting Christian communities, renewing international concern over Nigeria’s deteriorating security situation and intensifying calls for sustained global action to protect vulnerable religious groups.