US Congressman Riley M. Moore has criticised the Nigerian government over its failure to protect the lives and livelihoods of Christians in the Middle Belt region, who are constantly under attack by suspected Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM), while lauding the Trump government’s determination to elevate Christian genocide in the country from a religious freedom issue to a counterterrorism mission.
“Enough is enough,” said the U.S. representative for West Virginia’s 2nd congressional district since January 2025, wrote on Facebook, adding, “I am grateful the Trump Administration specifically identified protecting Christians in Nigeria in the administration’s new Counterterrorism Strategy.”
The American politician declared, “Now, I am asking the Trump Administration to take forceful action to defend our innocent brothers and sisters in Christ in the Middle Belt of Nigeria, the epicenter of an ongoing Christian genocide.”
The lawmaker criticised the Nigerian government for failing to secure its nation, yet was swift to assist a neighbouring country: “When I visited Nigeria, the government responded swiftly to quell a coup in Benin,” decried.
He blamed authorities in the West African nation for its inability to protect vulnerable Christians from being slaughtered by marauding terrorists.
“The Nigerian Government could root out the terrorism and stop the martyrdom of its own citizens. But, despite receiving early warnings of impending attacks, they are nowhere to be found as Christians are murdered for their faith, like lambs led to slaughter,” he said.
The Congressman maintained that “Nigeria’s willingness to step in to stop a violent attack in another country, while they stand by as their own Christian citizens are brutalized makes these absolutely horrific scenes unfolding in Plateau State all the more unconscionable.
“Christians — who were gathered for a mass burial for those killed in a previous attack — were viciously murdered by radical Islamic terrorists.”
Signed 6 May 2026, the 2026 National Counterterrorism Strategy lists two American goals in Africa under one heading, as one mission.
First, it guarantees that “none of the Jihadi groups can build a base of operations that allows them to plot and execute attacks against the United States and American interests around the world,” and second, it aims “to protect Christians, who have been slaughtered at the hands of these Jihadi groups.”
Reacting to this development on Facebook, Joseph Okechukwu, a US-based Nigerian and supporter of Donald Trump who has written open letters to him and was invited to the 2025 Presidential Inauguration in Washington, D.C., stated, “One enemy. Two fronts of the same war. This is not religious freedom language. It is counterterrorism doctrine. Counterterrorism doctrine moves missiles. The killers of Christians in Plateau and the killer of U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah at Old Dominion are now officially the same enemy.”
Joseph Okechukwu, a US-based Nigerian Nollywood actor, filmmaker, author and supporter of Donald Trump. Credit: Joseph Okechukwu.
The veteran Nollywood actor, filmmaker, author and vocal commentator on African development and international politics underlined that “America is done playing games with Nigeria over Christian genocide,” stressed that “It’s about to go down for real. Our God is not sleeping at all.”
He surmised that “The President of the United States today elevated the Nigerian Christian genocide from a religious freedom issue to a counterterrorism mission.”
Editor’s Note: Featured photo is courtesy of Congressman Riley M. Moore.
