A member of the US Congress, Rep. Riley Moore, has opposed any move to remove Nigeria from the United States’ Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list, citing continued attacks on Christian communities in the country’s Middle Belt.
Moore stated this on Wednesday in a post on his official X account while responding to the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs.
The lawmaker supported the State Department’s call for the Nigerian government to strengthen the protection of Christian communities following a recent attack in Plateau State.
“We absolutely CANNOT remove the CPC designation from Nigeria while radical Islamic terrorists continue this horrific violence against Christians,” Moore said.
He added that the Nigerian government must fulfil its commitment to protect Christian communities and hold those responsible for attacks accountable.
Moore was reacting to a statement by the US Bureau of African Affairs condemning the latest violence in Plateau State, where more than 24 people were reportedly killed, with several others still missing.
The Bureau described the incident as another “murderous attack” in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, expressing concern that the victims were attacked while sleeping in their homes.
“The United States is horrified by yet another murderous attack in the Middle Belt of Nigeria, killing dozens of people asleep in their homes in Plateau State,” the Bureau said.
It also urged the Nigerian government to protect Christian communities and ensure that perpetrators of violence were brought to justice.
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The latest statements from Moore and the Bureau indicate renewed pressure on the Trump administration to maintain Nigeria’s CPC designation amid continued attacks in Plateau, Benue and other parts of the Middle Belt.
However, the Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims that the conflicts are driven by religious persecution, saying they are largely linked to disputes over land and resources, as well as criminality.
The US designated Nigeria as a CPC in 2020 under the International Religious Freedom Act, a classification reserved for countries that have engaged in or tolerated systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom.
Nigeria was removed from the list in 2021 but remained under close monitoring by the US State Department.
The Trump administration restored Nigeria to the CPC list last year. Since then, the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group has met twice to assess progress and review measures taken by Abuja to address Washington’s concerns.
The CPC designation is reviewed annually by the US State Department, with the next review scheduled for November.
