US Congressman Riley M. Moore has formally submitted a congressional report to President Donald Trump calling for sweeping measures to address violence against Christian communities in Nigeria, including the repeal of sharia and blasphemy laws in parts of the country.
In a press release, Moore said he joined members of the House Committees on Appropriations and Foreign Affairs at the White House to deliver what he described as a “comprehensive report outlining concrete actions to end the persecution of Christians in Nigeria and counter growing extremist violence in the region.”
The submission follows Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the US International Religious Freedom Act on October 31, 2025.
Moore and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole were tasked to lead a congressional investigation into the persecution of Christian communities and Nigeria’s broader security challenges.
The report is the culmination of months of investigation, including a bipartisan fact-finding trip to Nigeria, hearings with expert witnesses, consultations with religious leaders, meetings with internally displaced persons, and engagement with senior Nigerian government officials.
Moore stated, “I travelled on a bipartisan delegation to Nigeria and saw with my own eyes the horrific atrocities Christians face, and the instability the Nigerian government must combat.”
Key recommendations of the report include:
Establishing a bilateral US–Nigeria security agreement to protect vulnerable Christian communities and dismantle jihadist networks.
Withholding certain US funds pending demonstrable action by Nigeria to stop violence against Christians.
Imposing sanctions and visa restrictions on individuals or groups responsible for religious persecution.
Repeal of sharia and blasphemy laws in the twelve northern states operating parallel Islamic legal systems.
Providing technical support to eliminate violence from armed Fulani militias and coordinating with international partners such as France, Hungary, and the United Kingdom.
Moore emphasized that the report “outlines concrete steps to impose accountability measures, counter radical Islamic terrorism, and lays out a plan to work in coordination and cooperation with the Nigerian government to bring security to all the people of Nigeria.”
Nigeria has grappled with overlapping security crises for over a decade, including Islamist insurgency by Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province, kidnappings and raids by criminal gangs, and deadly clashes between herders and farmers in the Middle Belt.
Successive Nigerian governments have rejected claims of state-sponsored persecution, maintaining that insecurity affects citizens of all faiths.
The White House has not yet outlined specific policy actions following the report’s submission, though analysts note that any conditions on US assistance or sanctions could impact diplomatic relations between the two countries, which cooperate on counter-terrorism, regional security, and trade.
