United States Congressman Riley Moore has urged the Nigerian government to take decisive action against armed groups operating in the Middle Belt, following the abduction of more than 300 students and 12 teachers from St Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State on Friday.
In a statement posted on his X account on Saturday, Moore condemned the latest attack, noting that the repeated incidents of mass abductions were deeply troubling. “As a father, seeing these attacks makes my stomach turn,” he wrote.
He called on Nigerian authorities to intensify security operations against those responsible for the violence, stating that the government “must disarm the radical Muslim Fulani militants terrorising the Middle Belt.” Moore also claimed that attacks on Christian communities in the country were escalating. “The persecution of Christians in Nigeria is escalating out of control. I believe it is now a genocide,” he asserted.
Moore urged closer collaboration between Abuja and Washington in addressing insecurity, adding that “it is up to the Nigerian government to work with the United States to stop the killings and kidnappings of our brothers and sisters in Christ.” He warned that continued attacks could prompt a response from the US administration. “This human tragedy has to end, or else, @POTUS has made it clear that he will take action to stop this tragedy,” he said.
His remarks come amid a surge of kidnappings and violent incidents across northern Nigeria. Earlier in the week, gunmen abducted at least 24 students from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State.
Moore’s comments followed a meeting held on Wednesday in Washington, DC, where he engaged with a Nigerian delegation led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu. The discussions focused on counterterrorism cooperation and strategies to protect vulnerable communities, which Moore described as frank and productive.
The Nigerian delegation included several senior government and security officials, among them Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Bianca Ojukwu, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede, and Chief of Defence Intelligence Lt Gen Emmanuel Undiendeye.
The meeting took place shortly after US President Donald Trump warned that Christianity faces “an existential threat” in Nigeria, cautioning that if the Nigerian government fails to stem the violence, the US reaction would be swift.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said during an interview on Friday that the delegation in the US is working to counter what he described as misleading narratives regarding Nigeria’s security situation, particularly claims of religious persecution.
