US Congressman Riley Moore has welcomed recent airstrikes in Northwest Nigeria as a decisive move to protect Christian communities and tackle the ongoing security crisis in the country.
In a statement on Friday via his X handle, Moore said the strikes, conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government, marked “just the first step to ending the slaughter of Christians and the security crisis affecting all Nigerians.”
“President Trump has been clear that the killing of Christians in Nigeria must end.
“As I stated at the outset: Do not test President Trump’s resolve in this matter,” the congressman added.
The statements came following news that the US military, led by President Donald Trump, conducted airstrikes on ISIS-linked terrorist cells in Northwest Nigeria. In a separate post, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that Washington acted with Nigeria’s cooperation.
“The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria (and elsewhere) must end. The Department of War is always ready… Grateful for Nigerian government support & cooperation,” Hegseth wrote.
The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the strikes were part of a structured security cooperation with international partners to combat terrorism and violent extremism.
Moore just returned from a fact-finding mission in Nigeria to examine reported attacks on Christian communities, characterizing the encounter as profoundly troubling.
He led a five-member congressional trip to Benue State, where he met with IDPs, terrorist attack survivors, Christian leaders, and traditional rulers.
The team also met with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi.
Moore told Fox News of terrible examples, including one in which a lady lost five children while pregnant, as well as another in which she lost her husband, two kids, and an unborn child, describing the violence as deliberate targeting of Christians.
“This is one of the most dangerous states in Nigeria. They are trying to erase Christians in Benue and across Nigeria from their ancestral homeland,” Moore said.
He revealed that President Trump directed him and House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole to produce a report with recommendations by the end of the month, following Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” due to suspected Christian deaths.
