By Ademola Adekusibe
January 6, 2025
A United States congressman has alleged that extremist groups linked to ISIS are escalating targeted violence against Christian communities in Nigeria, warning that believers are being issued ultimatums to either convert to Islam or face death.
Rep. Riley Moore, who recently visited Nigeria as part of a US congressional delegation, said his findings contradict claims that the country’s insecurity is driven mainly by climate change or farmer-herder disputes. According to him, the pattern of attacks, including the burning of churches and assaults on internally displaced persons camps, points to what he described as deliberate religious persecution.
Speaking during an interview on Newsmax TV, Moore disclosed that ISIS had released statements threatening Christians, while recounting graphic testimonies from victims he met during his December visit. He said women narrated watching their children murdered, families wiped out, and communities forced into displacement under extreme violence.
Moore further claimed that US-Nigeria security cooperation had intensified in recent weeks, including coordinated military actions aimed at deterring attacks during the Christmas period. He asserted that for the first time in two years, Christians were not massacred during the holiday, attributing this to joint counterterrorism efforts.
The lawmaker’s remarks have reignited debate over the root causes of Nigeria’s prolonged insecurity, as human rights groups continue to document mass killings, kidnappings, and attacks by Boko Haram, ISIS-linked factions, and armed militias across the country.
