A United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has accused former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of complicity in the killing of Christians in Nigeria.
The congressman made the explosive allegation after Kwankwaso criticized reports of a potential U.S. military intervention in Nigeria, following President Donald Trump’s recent threat to “go in guns blazing.”
In a post on social media, Moore directly confronted the former governor, writing:
“Governor, do you care to comment on your own complicity in the death of Christians? You instituted Sharia law. You signed the law that makes so-called blasphemy punishable by death.”
Kwankwaso, who governed Kano when Sharia law was introduced in November 2000, had earlier urged the United States to respect Nigeria’s sovereignty and avoid unilateral actions over alleged Christian persecution.
He described Nigeria as a country facing “complex security challenges that do not discriminate along religious or ethnic lines.”
“The insecurity we face does not distinguish based on religious, ethnic, or political beliefs,” Kwankwaso said. “What we need from the United States is support through technology and diplomacy, not military threats.”
He also called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to appoint special envoys to Washington to manage the growing diplomatic tension and maintain unity at home.
However, Congressman Moore dismissed Kwankwaso’s remarks and vowed to push for investigations into alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
In an interview with Fox News, Moore said he would submit policy recommendations to President Trump on how to respond to what he described as “systematic persecution of Christians.”
“We’re going to give President Trump a full menu of options to stop these killings,” Moore stated.
Trump had earlier designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern”, accusing “radical Islamists” of carrying out mass killings of Christians.
“Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, warning that the U.S. could deploy military action if the Nigerian government failed to stop the violence.
The Nigerian government swiftly rejected the genocide claims, describing them as “false and politically motivated.”
President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed that Nigeria remains committed to religious freedom, adding that his administration continues to work with faith leaders to promote peace and coexistence.
“The portrayal of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” Tinubu said. “We are a nation of multiple faiths that coexist peacefully, and we are addressing insecurity with renewed vigor.”
Political analysts say the allegations against Kwankwaso could further strain relations between Abuja and Washington, especially as Trump intensifies his rhetoric on foreign policy and religious freedom in Africa.
Kwankwaso, now a key opposition figure, has yet to issue a formal legal response to Moore’s accusations.