Two American lawmakers, Riley Moore and Ted Cruz, have issued stern warnings to Nigeria, urging the Federal Government to cooperate with the United States over allegations of widespread killing of Christians in the country.
The warning comes after US President, Donald Trump, claimed that Christianity in Nigeria faces an “existential threat”, blaming radical Islamist groups for what he described as mass slaughter.
In his October 31 post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘country of particular concern.’”
He directed Congressman Riley Moore and House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole to investigate the matter and provide a comprehensive report.
By November 1, Trump escalated his tone, threatening to deploy American forces to Nigeria if the Federal Government fails to halt what he called the “genocide of Christians”.
Moore, who introduced a congressional resolution condemning the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria, doubled down on his boss’s position in an interview shared by Fox News on Saturday.
“Do not test President Trump’s resolve, he is serious about ending the ongoing slaughter of Christians in Nigeria. I am asking the Nigerian government to do the right thing and partner with the United States to protect Christians and end the slaughter of our brothers and sisters in Christ,” he wrote.
Speaking during the interview, Moore said he and other members of the House Appropriations Committee were working with key stakeholders, including the US State Department, the White House, and the National Security Council, to develop a coordinated response to the violence.
“We have been working with the Appropriations Committee, which I’m a member of, and other relevant stakeholders within the House to come up with our findings. We did have a meeting this week with the State Department and have been in constant communication with the White House and the NSC on this issue,” he said.
When asked if Democrat lawmakers would support Trump’s action, Moore replied, “At this point, I have not had any indication that the Democrats will not support it. I certainly hope that they will join us in speaking with a unified voice to condemn the violence, where our brothers and sisters in Christ are being murdered every single day for the profession of their faith.”
Nigerian Politicians Afraid Of US Leverage – Cruz
Similarly, Cruz, who has also been vocal about the alleged genocide, said Nigerian politicians denying the mass killing of Christians were afraid of America’s political and economic power.
Cruz, who represents Texas in the US Senate, said this in a viral audio clip trending on Saturday, where he discussed his proposed bill seeking to compel the US State Department to take a firmer stance on religious persecution in Nigeria.
According to him, the legislation would ensure that Washington formally recognises Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” and imposes sanctions on officials found complicit in atrocities against Christians.
“My bill does several things. One of the things that it would do is direct the State Department to do what President Trump just did, which is designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern,” he said.
Cruz explained that beyond the designation, the bill would also mandate punitive measures against individuals responsible for enabling or covering up religious violence.
“The bill also specifically directs the State Department to impose sanctions on local and provincial officials that are complicit in these atrocities. That has not yet been carried out. I’m hopeful the Trump administration will do so,” he added.
The senator maintained that the US had “enormous leverage” to compel changes in Nigeria through both diplomatic and economic pressure.
He said his campaign to draw attention to the killings had unsettled politicians across Nigeria’s political spectrum, many of whom were desperate to discredit his claims.
“There’s a reason that when I began calling out Nigeria for this mass murder of Christians, you had Nigerian politicians across the spectrum trying to argue against it. They are very, very afraid of the United States using our leverage to force them to change,” Cruz said.
The lawmaker added that Washington must not shy away from using its influence to demand accountability for what he described as “mass murder and systemic persecution.”
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