- US Congressman Riley Moore pushed back against purported moves to remove Nigeria from the ‘countries of particular concern’ list over Christian persecution
- Moore responded to a post by the Bureau of African Affairs condemning a Plateau state attack that allegedly killed dozens of people in their sleep
- The outspoken American lawmaker had previously visited Nigeria as part of a US fact-finding delegation on alleged Christian genocide in the country
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over four years of experience covering security issues and counterinsurgency in Nigeria and across Africa.
Washington, USA – US Congressman Riley Moore has urged that Nigeria remain on the federal government’s list of “countries of particular concern,” arguing that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has not done enough to stop what he described as ongoing violence against Christian communities.
Moore made his position known in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, responding to a message published by the Bureau of African Affairs condemning a deadly attack in Plateau state, where bandits allegedly killed scores of people while they slept.
Source: Twitter
Moore rejects removing Nigeria’s CPC designation
In his post, Moore wrote:
“We absolutely CANNOT remove the CPC designation from Nigeria while radical Islamic terrorists continue this horrific violence against Christians. @AsstSecStateAF is right. The Nigerian government must meet its commitments to protect innocent Christian communities.”
Legit.ng reports that the congressman’s intervention could be seen as carrying weight given his background on the issue. Moore was part of a US fact-finding delegation that travelled to Nigeria to assess claims of Christian genocide, giving him firsthand exposure to the security conditions on the ground.
What does CPC designation mean?
The “countries of particular concern” list is maintained by the US government to identify nations where severe violations of religious freedom are taking place. Placement on the list can carry diplomatic and foreign policy consequences, including potential sanctions or restrictions on certain forms of assistance.
Moore’s pushback suggests there are discussions within US policy circles about easing Nigeria’s designation, a move he strongly opposes given the most recent violence in Plateau state. His comments align with the Bureau of African Affairs, which also condemned the attack and called on the Nigerian government to protect its citizens.
Source: Twitter
The Plateau state attack, which Moore and the bureau both referenced, is the latest in a pattern of violence that has drawn sustained international attention to the security situation affecting communities deemed to be Christian-dominated in parts of Nigeria.
Read Moore’s tweet on Nigeria’s CPC designation below via X:
Read more on insecurity in Nigeria
Terrorists kidnap, kill 106 health workers
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that armed groups, criminal kidnappers, and terrorists abducted 91 health workers and killed 15 others across 101 separate attacks on Nigerian healthcare facilities between 2023 and 2025, according to a new international report.
The figures come from the ‘Care in the Crosshairs: Violence Against Health Care in Conflict 2025’ report, published by the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition. The data was compiled using Insecurity Insight’s global monitoring system and covers incidents across the three-year window.
Source: Legit.ng