Washington, D.C. – November 17, 2025 – A prominent U.S. lawmaker has sharply criticized the Nigerian government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he calls a disconnect between official rhetoric on religious tolerance and the harsh realities faced by Christians in the country. Representative Riley Moore (R-WV), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, highlighted the case of a Christian farmer facing the death penalty for defending himself against a Fulani militant, as evidence of systemic issues in Nigeria's northern states where Sharia law prevails.
In a post on X on November 16, 2025, Moore directly challenged Tinubu's recent assurances, writing: "@officialABAT claims his government opposes religious persecution. But 12 states have Sharia law, and a Christian faces the death penalty for defending his farm from a Muslim Fulani militant who stabbed him repeatedly." The congressman, who represents West Virginia's 2nd District and identifies as a Roman Catholic in his X bio, reposted a clip from his appearance on Fox News Sunday earlier that day, where host Shannon Bream read excerpts from Tinubu's statement denying religious intolerance in Nigeria.
Moore's remarks come at a time of heightened international scrutiny on Nigeria's religious freedom record. On October 31, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act, citing "egregious violations" including the slaughter of thousands of Christians by Islamist groups. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, described the situation as an "existential threat" to Christianity in Nigeria and directed Moore, along with House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, to investigate the killings. The CPC label, which Nigeria last held during Trump's first term, opens the door to potential sanctions, aid restrictions, or diplomatic pressure.
During the Fox News interview, Moore elaborated on the contradictions he perceives in Tinubu's governance. "Unfortunately, that is completely false," Moore said in response to Bream reading Tinubu's claim that "the characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality." He pointed to blasphemy laws enforced in 12 northern states—Zamfara, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, and Yobe—where penalties can include death for offenses against Islam. "People [are] facing the death penalty right now for blasphemy against Islam," Moore stated, adding that the administration's "shameful silence" emboldens perpetrators.
Central to Moore's critique is the case of Sunday Jackson, a 34-year-old Christian farmer from Adamawa State. In 2015, Jackson was attacked on his farmland by Fulani herdsman Buba Ardo Bawuro, who allegedly stabbed him repeatedly with a knife during a dispute over grazing rights. Jackson overpowered his assailant, wrested the weapon, and fatally stabbed him in what his lawyers describe as clear self-defense. Despite medical evidence of Jackson's injuries and witness testimonies, a trial court in Yola convicted him of culpable homicide under Section 211 of the Adamawa State Penal Code. The sentence: death by hanging.
The Adamawa State High Court upheld the verdict in 2021, and on March 7, 2025, Nigeria's Supreme Court affirmed it, rejecting appeals that the ruling violated constitutional rights to self-defense under Section 33 of the 1999 Constitution. Human rights advocates, including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), have decried the decision as discriminatory, noting that Fulani attackers rarely face prosecution for similar or worse violence against Christian farmers. "This is glaring evidence of discrimination against a Christian who will be hanged to death after being attacked by an armed herdsman without provocation," CAN leaders John Joseph Hayab and Bishop Mohammed Naga stated in a March 2025 press release.
Jackson's plight exemplifies the broader farmer-herder conflicts that have ravaged Nigeria's Middle Belt for over a decade. Predominantly Christian farming communities in states like Benue, Plateau, and Adamawa clash with nomadic Fulani herdsmen, who are largely Muslim, over scarce resources amid climate change and population growth. What began as resource disputes has escalated into targeted violence, with radicalized Fulani militants—often linked to groups like Boko Haram or the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP)—burning churches, villages, and farmlands. According to Open Doors' 2025 World Watch List, Nigeria ranks second globally for Christian persecution, with 3,100 faith-related killings in the past year alone—69% of the worldwide total of 4,476. The report attributes much of this to "Islamic extremist Fulani militia" in the North-Central zone, where attacks kill hundreds annually, disproportionately affecting Christians.
Since 2009, estimates suggest 50,000 to 100,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria, alongside the destruction of over 18,000 churches and the displacement of more than 12 million people, many into under-resourced IDP camps. Recent incidents underscore the urgency: In June 2025, Fulani militants massacred around 200 Christians in Yelwata, Benue State, over two days. Just last week, on November 10-12, 2025, Fulani herdsmen killed 25 Christians across Nasarawa and Plateau states, including 11 in a single coordinated raid on a church community. A pastor in Plateau who warned of an impending attack was detained by the Nigerian Army for "spreading fake news," only for the assault to claim over a dozen lives shortly after.
Tinubu's November 1, 2025, statement, issued in response to Trump's CPC designation, insisted that "religious freedom and tolerance have been a core tenet of our collective identity and shall always remain so. Nigeria opposes religious persecution and does not encourage it." The president emphasized ongoing engagements with Christian and Muslim leaders since taking office in 2023 and framed security challenges as affecting all citizens, not targeted at any faith. However, critics like Moore argue this overlooks the impunity enjoyed by attackers. "The Nigerian government has repeatedly failed to respond to attacks or hold perpetrators accountable," he said on X.
The Tinubu administration has pushed back forcefully. Special Adviser on Information Bayo Onanuga labeled Moore's claims a "propaganda campaign built on falsehoods" in an October 7, 2025, X post, urging focus on conflicts like Gaza instead. Presidential aide Olusegun Dada called Moore "ignorant" of Nigeria's realities, where "churches, mosques, shrines stand side-by-side." First Lady Oluremi Tinubu echoed this on November 10, 2025, at a Christian youth conference, urging rejection of "religious bigotry" and praising the government's inclusive agenda.
Internationally, Moore's advocacy has gained traction. On November 7, 2025, he introduced a House resolution with 20 co-sponsors, including Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), condemning the "ongoing persecution of Christians" and supporting Trump's CPC move. The resolution calls for diplomatic and economic pressure to protect vulnerable groups and return displaced persons. A House Subcommittee on Africa hearing is set for November 20, 2025, to probe the CPC decision, featuring testimonies from Nigerian Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, who described the violence as an "Islamist extermination" strategy.
Religious freedom advocates, including Global Christian Relief and the Alliance Defending Freedom, have rallied behind Jackson's pardon plea. U.S. pastor William Devlin even offered to "trade places" with him in a March 2025 statement, invoking Christ's sacrifice. Despite a presidential pardon for 175 convicts in October 2025, Jackson was excluded, fueling accusations of selective justice.
As Nigeria grapples with these tensions, Moore warned on Fox News that Tinubu is "in a difficult position and trying to protect his interests," but urged collaboration to end the "complacency." With U.S.-Nigeria trade exceeding $10 billion annually, the CPC could strain ties, but advocates argue it might compel reforms. Nigerian officials have yet to respond directly to Moore's latest post, but the silence risks amplifying calls for accountability.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom's 2025 report reinforces Moore's concerns, recommending CPC status due to "systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations." Counterarguments suggest violence affects all faiths via terrorism, not just religious targeting. Yet, data shows Fulani militias responsible for 47% of civilian deaths—far outpacing Boko Haram.
This episode underscores Nigeria's polarized religious landscape: a nation of 230 million, evenly split between Muslims and Christians, where faith intersects with ethnicity, land, and politics. As Moore put it on X, "Tinubu now has an opportunity to deepen... Nigeria's relationship with the United States and... do the right thing." Whether Abuja seizes it remains to be seen, but the stakes—for Jackson, displaced farmers, and bilateral relations—could not be higher.
