By Asaye Bankole
U.S. Congressman Riley M. Moore met with a high‑level Nigerian delegation in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday.
He called the meeting “frank, honest, and productive.” The talks focused on the ongoing killings of Christians and rising terrorist threats in Nigeria. The Nigerian delegation, led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, included Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Bianca Ojukwu, Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, Attorney General and Justice Minister Lateef Fagbemi, Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, and Chief of Defence Intelligence Lt. Gen. E. A. P. Undiendeye, plus several other officials.
They briefed Congressman Moore on the challenges the Nigerian government faces.
Moore, in a statement posted on his X account, reiterated that the United States expects concrete progress and warned that continued violence against Christians would not be tolerated under President Donald Trump’s administration.
He said the U.S. is prepared to broaden cooperation with Nigeria, but emphasized that Trump’s warnings about religious persecution are “not idle threats.” After the meeting, he said, “I made it crystal clear that the United States must see tangible steps to ensure that Christians are not subjected to violence, persecution, displacement, and death simply for believing in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” He added that the U.S. is ready to work with Nigeria to combat Boko Haram, ISWAP, and what he called “Fulani militants,” especially in the Northeast and Middle Belt regions where attacks on Christian communities have continued.
Moore also said Congress and the Trump administration are “serious in our resolve” to end religious persecution and help dismantle terrorist groups.
The invitation to members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, as reported Newsmen, stated, “You are respectfully invited to attend an open hearing of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, held by the Subcommittee on Africa, at 11:00 a.m. in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building.” According to the invitation, the panelists will include Jonathan Pratt, Senior Bureau Official of the Bureau of African Affairs, and Jacob McGee, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
The second panel will include Ms Nina Shea, Director of the Center for Religious Freedom; Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Makurdi Catholic Diocese in Nigeria; and Ms Oge Onubogu of the Center for Strategic & International Studies.
The congressional hearing is slated to examine both the extent of religious persecution in Nigeria and possible policy measures, such as targeted sanctions, humanitarian aid, and cooperation with Nigerian officials to stop further violence.
On October 31, 2025, President Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern for religious‑freedom violations. In making that designation, Trump said Nigeria had allegedly committed severe religious‑freedom violations, especially the persecution of Christians, claiming that Christianity faced an existential threat there and that thousands of Christians had been killed by radical Islamists.
He warned that the United States might act, even suggesting potential military intervention.
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