Congressman Moore applauds President Trump’s decision to Designate Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” will lead effort to investigate rampant Christian persecution

Washington, D.C.- Congressman Riley M. Moore applauds President Donald Trump's decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) due to the alarming and ongoing persecution of Christians across the country. President Trump also asked Congressman Moore, alongside House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, to lead an investigation into the slaughtering of Christians in Nigeria.

Earlier this month, Congressman Moore sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging the Trump Administration to take "immediate action to address the systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians in Nigeria," highlighting the nation's growing reputation as "the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian."

More than 7,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria in 2025 alone-an average of 35 per day-with hundreds more kidnapped, tortured, or displaced by extremist groups such as Boko Haram, ISIS West Africa, and the Fulani militants. Reports indicate that between 50,000 and 100,000 Christians have been killed and more than 19,000 Christian churches have been attacked or destroyed since 2009. Data from Open Doors indicate that more Christians are killed every year in Nigeria than the rest of the world combined.

President Trump previously designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern in 2020, but President Biden removed the designation in 2021.

Congressman Moore issued the following statement:

"I want to sincerely thank President Trump for his incredible leadership and decisive action to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. Nigeria has become ground zero for Christian martyrdom and I am proud to have been leading the effort in Congress to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ who are being slaughtered since I was first sworn into Congress. Nigeria is, by far, the deadliest country in the world to be a Christian.

I have been calling for this designation since my first floor speech in April, where I highlighted the plight of Christians in Muslim majority countries. I then introduced H.Res. 594 in July to further draw attention to these atrocities against our brothers and sisters in Christ.

More than 7,000 Christians have been martyred this year alone-an average of 35 every day. This designation is a critical first step in holding the Nigerian government accountable for engaging in and tolerating particularly severe violations of religious freedom, including doing nothing to stop mass killings targeting Christians and upholding its blasphemy laws that disproportionately target Christians.

I am grateful that the President has asked Chairman Tom Cole and me to work through the Appropriations Committee to ensure that Nigeria receives the international attention, pressure, and accountability it urgently needs.

This CPC designation sends a clear message: the United States will not turn a blind eye as Christians are slaughtered, and we stand ready to protect our brothers and sisters in Christ worldwide."

For more on this issue, see Congressman Moore's previous work on Nigeria:

· The Congressman's first ever floor speech, in which he highlighted the plight of Nigerian Christians;

· The Congressman's lettercalling for Secretary Marco Rubio to designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern;

· The Congressman's interviewwith Laura Ingraham;

· The Congressman's interviewwith Maria Bartiromo;

· The Congressman's interviewon Fox and Friends;

· The Congressman's interviewwith Stuart Varney;

· The Congressman's interviewwith Kayleigh McEnany;

· The Congressman's interviewon RSBN;

· The Congressman's interviewon Varney & Co;

· The Congressman's interviewwith Raymond Arroyo;

· The Congressman's interviewwith Mario Nawfal;

· The Congressman's interviewon the LOOPcast;

· The Congressman's interviewwith Catholic Frequency;

· The Congressman's interviewon TimCast

· The Congressman's tweethighlighting the killing of a Nigerian pastor and kidnapping of 20 Nigerian Christians

· The Congressman's tweethighlighting the Nigerian Army accusing a pastor of stoking division for warning of an impending attack that left a dozen Christians dead;

· The Congressman's twitter threadhighlighting the state of persecution in Nigeria and announcing his letter calling for Nigeria to be designated as a Country of Particular Concern;

· The Congressman's tweethighlighting the massacre of Nigerian Christians on Palm Sunday;

·The Congressman's speech at CPAC's Ending Christian Persecution Summit.

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