A United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has described Nigeria as “the most dangerous country in the world to be a Christian,” citing widespread killings, destruction of churches and mass displacement of believers.
Naijaonpoint reports that Moore made the remarks on Thursday while speaking at an event organised by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), where global persecution of Christians was discussed, with particular focus on Nigeria.
The congressman said Christians in Nigeria are being targeted and killed solely because of their faith.
“So I think as many of us know, Nigeria is the most dangerous country in the world to be a Christian. It’s the most dangerous place in the world to profess your faith in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ,” Moore said.
According to the lawmaker, the scale of violence against Christians in Nigeria has been staggering over the years.
“Since 2009, there have been between 50,000 on the low end to 100,000 Christians who have been killed,” he said.
Moore added that tens of thousands of churches had been burned, while millions of Christians have been displaced from their homes due to persistent attacks.
Recounting his visit to Nigeria, Moore said he witnessed firsthand the humanitarian crisis facing Christian communities, particularly in Benue State.
He disclosed that in Benue State alone, about 600,000 Christians were living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps, noting that he held direct discussions with many of them.
“When I was there, I will tell you, it was one of the most tragic scenes I’ve ever seen. The positions that they’re having to survive in,” he added.