US Lawmaker Blames Fulani Militants for Anti-Christian Killings in Nigeria

A United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has blamed Fulani militants for what he described as the widespread killing of Christians in Nigeria, urging authorities to intensify efforts to end the violence in the country’s Middle Belt.

Moore, who represents West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, made the remarks on Wednesday in a post on his verified X account, where he argued that attacks by Fulani militants remain a major threat to Christian communities.

“As I have been saying since I started investigating the genocide against Christians in Nigeria, Fulani militants are by far the largest perpetrators of violence against Christians in Nigeria,” Moore wrote.

He added: “The Donald Trump administration has made historic progress against Boko Haram and ISWAP, but we must also stop the killing in the Middle Belt at the hands of the Fulani if we want to ensure our brothers and sisters in Christ are safe to live and worship without being murdered.”

Moore’s comments came months after President Donald Trump ordered a series of strikes on Islamic State targets in Nigeria, accusing the group of deliberately targeting Christians. The operations, which focused on militant camps in parts of northwestern Nigeria, were carried out with the cooperation of Nigerian authorities, according to officials from both countries.

The issue of violence against Christian communities has continued to attract international attention. Among those who have repeatedly raised concerns is Reverend Ezekiel Dachomo, Regional Chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, who has consistently called for stronger action to protect communities affected by recurring attacks in Nigeria’s North-Central region.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with an estimated 240 million people, is home to Christians, Muslims and followers of other faiths.

Successive Nigerian governments have, however, rejected claims that the country’s security challenges amount to a campaign targeting Christians alone. Authorities maintain that insurgents and criminal groups have attacked people regardless of religious affiliation.

Security analysts have also argued that many of the violent clashes in parts of the Middle Belt are driven by longstanding disputes over land, grazing routes and water resources, alongside criminality and insurgency, rather than religion alone.

Trump has repeatedly voiced concern over alleged anti-Christian violence in Nigeria, warning in late 2025 that Christianity faced what he called an “existential threat” in the country.

His administration has, however, also drawn criticism over aspects of its refugee policy, particularly its handling of people fleeing violence and persecution in different parts of the world.