United States Congressman Riley Moore has strongly rejected President Bola Tinubu's recent denial of targeted killings against Christians in Nigeria, labeling the president's statements as completely false and politically motivated.
Congressional Condemnation and Upcoming Hearing
In a Sunday interview with Fox News, Representative Moore accused Nigeria's political leadership of being complicit in the ongoing violence against Christian communities. He specifically challenged President Tinubu's claim that characterizing Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect the country's national reality.
Unfortunately, that is completely false. There are states in Nigeria that have blasphemy laws. People are facing the death penalty for blasphemy against Islam, Moore stated during the interview.
The US lawmaker suggested that President Tinubu is in a difficult position and trying to protect his interests within the country, but such denials make the administration complicit in the violence to some degree.
Specific Case Highlighted and Congressional Action
Moore cited the troubling case of Sunday Jackson, a Christian farmer from Adamawa State who received a death sentence for defending himself against an attack by a killer herdsman. This case exemplifies what the congressman describes as serious persecution happening across Nigeria.
The US Congress is scheduled to convene a crucial hearing on Thursday to examine allegations of widespread Christian persecution in Nigeria. This session follows former President Donald Trump's recent decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).
The hearing will be led by Congressman Chris Smith, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, who has been a vocal advocate for stronger US action regarding reported religious violence in Nigeria.
International Reports and Witness Testimonies
Meanwhile, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule (Intersociety) released a disturbing report claiming that 99 Christians were killed in Nigeria within just 14 days. The organization stated these killings occurred between October 28 and November 11, with an additional 114 people kidnapped by what they identified as Jihadist militants.
The report was signed by Intersociety's Head, Emeka Umeagbalasi, along with two human rights lawyers, Joy Igboeli and Ogochukwu Obi, adding credibility to these alarming statistics.
Congressman Smith had previously introduced a congressional resolution naming the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore as responsible actors in several attacks. The resolution recommends implementing visa bans and asset freezes against members of these groups.
The resolution also calls on the White House to classify Fulani-Ethnic Militias operating in states such as Benue and Plateau under the Entities of Particular Concern (EPC) framework established by the International Religious Freedom Act.
Scheduled witnesses for Thursday's hearing include Jonathan Pratt, senior bureau official at the US State Department's Bureau of African Affairs, and Jacob McGee, deputy assistant secretary at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour.
A second panel will feature Nina Shea, senior fellow and director at the Centre for Religious Freedom; Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Makurdi Catholic Diocese; and Oge Onubogu, director and senior fellow for the Africa Programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies.
