Tensions are rising in Washington over President Donald Trump’s proposed intervention in Nigeria, following a new congressional resolution condemning what sponsors call the “persecution of Christians” in the West African nation.
Representative Riley Moore, who chairs Trump’s investigative committee on religious persecution in Nigeria, introduced the resolution on Friday, pledging support for the president’s plan to “end the slaughter.”
The resolution, titled: “Condemning the persecution of Christians in Nigeria and supporting President Donald Trump in taking decisive action to end the existential threat that persecuted Christians face in Nigeria”, urges stronger U.S. involvement in addressing the crisis.
Moore claimed that Nigeria has become “the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian”, citing figures that over 7,000 Christians have been killed in 2025 alone, with more than 19,000 churches destroyed and millions displaced since 2009. He accused the Nigerian government of “turning a blind eye” to targeted jihadist attacks, referencing incidents such as the 2022 Pentecost massacre and 2025 Holy Week killings.
However, Moore’s resolution has deepened divisions within the U.S. Congress and the security establishment. Senior Pentagon officials have warned that Trump’s directive to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria would likely fail to end the violence.
“Nigeria’s security challenges are deeply rooted in ethnic tensions, corruption, and poverty; you can’t bomb ideology or poverty”, one official cautioned, adding that any U.S. intervention could become “another endless mission”.
