U.S. Congressman Riley Moore (R-WV) has introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives condemning the persecution of Christians in Nigeria and supporting President Donald Trump’s recent designation of the country as a “Country of Particular Concern” under U.S. religious freedom laws.

The resolution, filed on Thursday and published on Moore’s official website, cites widespread violence by extremist groups such as Boko Haram and Fulani militants, which it says have resulted in thousands of deaths and mass displacement. It calls on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to uphold the designation and suspend arms sales to Nigeria until the government demonstrates credible efforts to protect religious minorities.

“Every day, innocent Christians in Nigeria are attacked, displaced, and murdered,” Moore said in a statement, referencing data from Open Doors that attributes over 7,000 Christian deaths in 2025 and more than 19,000 church attacks since 2009.

The resolution echoes President Trump’s October 31 post on Truth Social, which warned of potential cuts to the estimated $1.2 billion in U.S. aid to Nigeria and raised the possibility of military intervention. Advocacy groups such as ADF International praised the move, with legal director Kelsey Zorzi calling it “a decisive step” that challenges what she described as the Nigerian government’s denial of the crisis.

Senator Ted Cruz also voiced support for the resolution and indicated plans to name Nigerian officials allegedly complicit in religious violence.

In response, Nigerian officials rejected the claims. Information Minister Mohammed Idris described the resolution as based on “faulty data,” noting that 1,200 arrests were made in 2025 across religious lines in connection with farmer-herder conflicts. He emphasized that the government does not target any faith group and reaffirmed Nigeria’s constitutional protections for religious freedom.

President Bola Tinubu, addressing the issue publicly, proposed a diplomatic summit with President Trump and reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to religious tolerance. “Religious freedom is our core – this doesn’t reflect our reality,” he said.