The Nigerian Presidency has dismissed a call by the US congressman, Riley M. Moore, urging the United States to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) over what he described as “systematic persecution and slaughter of Christians” in the country.

In a letter dated October 6, 2025, addressed to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Moore alleged that Nigeria had become “the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian,” and urged Washington to halt arms sales to Abuja until the Nigerian government “demonstrates it is sufficiently committed to ending this reign of persecution and slaughter.”

“More than 7,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria in 2025 already, an average of 35 murders per day,” the congressman wrote. “This includes at least 50 Christians brutally martyred on Palm Sunday and another 200 killed in June. These relentless persecutions have continued for years and show no signs of abating.”

He further claimed that between July 2009 and September 2025, over 19,100 Christian churches were attacked or destroyed, while at least 850 Christians were being held for ransom in jihadist camps. Moore also accused “corrupt cells of the Nigerian government” of complicity in some of the attacks.

Citing reports from Open Doors and other Christian watchdog groups, Moore said Nigeria hosts “no less than 22 Islamic terror groups with links to ISIS and other broader networks,” describing the situation as a “scourge of anti-Christian violence.”

The lawmaker urged Rubio to “redesignate Nigeria as a CPC without delay and withhold arms sales and all associated technical support until the Nigerian government has taken tangible steps to protect our brothers and sisters in Christ.”

However, the Nigerian government swiftly condemned the claims, describing them as misinformed, exaggerated, and politically motivated.

Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, criticised Moore and other US politicians for what he called a “propaganda campaign” built on falsehood.

“Rep Riley Moore, you are simply pathetic. You don’t know anything about my country. You, Rubio, Cruz and other hypocritical Christians on a propaganda campaign are feeding from some pots of lies about Nigeria,” Onanuga said in a reply to Moore’s post on X.

“Nigerian Christians are not under persecution, except for what you imagine. We reject your labeling of our country as the deadliest for Christians. If you are a faithful Christian, you should be more concerned about the genocide against Christian and Muslim Palestinians, including children and women, by your beloved Israel,” he added.

Onanuga argued that the insecurity in Nigeria is not religiously motivated, stressing that “bandits and terrorists operating in some tiny parts of my country are not operating based on religion. They kill and maim Muslims inside mosques. They kidnap fellow Muslims and just anyone who falls prey.”

Similarly, Dada Olusegun, another presidential aide, described Moore’s letter as ignorant and disrespectful to Nigeria’s sovereignty.

“Firstly let me say, Congressman Riley, you are ignorant if not more ignorant than @tedcruz about Nigeria,” he wrote. “Secondly, Nigeria is a proud, sovereign nation built on the faith and resilience of its people. Here, no faith is under siege, no community is excluded. Our churches, mosques, and traditional shrines stand side by side — not as rivals, but as symbols of the unity that binds us.”

Read also: No religious genocide in Nigeria- Tinubu

Just last week, the federal government also debunked similar claims of “religious genocide” circulating on social media, linking them to coordinated disinformation from foreign accounts allegedly affiliated with the US and Israel.

In a statement, Mohammed Idris, minister of Information and National Orientation, said Nigeria remains a “multi-religious state” that accommodates both major faiths.

“Nigeria is a multi-religious state with large populations of both Christians and Muslims. We are home to one of the largest Muslim communities in the world, alongside some of the biggest Pentecostal churches and the largest Anglican congregation globally,” Idris said.

“Christianity is neither endangered nor marginalized in Nigeria. It is doubtful that foreign interlopers into Nigerian affairs are aware that the current heads of both the Armed Forces and the Police Force are Christians, a fact that underscores the inclusivity of our national leadership.”

The debate has since sparked controversy on social media, with Nigerians expressing mixed reactions. While some users supported Moore’s position, citing frequent attacks on churches and clergy in the country, others accused the US and Israel of attempting to blackmail Nigeria following Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent speech at the United Nations General Assembly, where he reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for the Palestinian cause.

Observers say the latest exchange reflects growing tensions between Abuja and Washington over human rights and religious freedom narratives, an issue that has repeatedly surfaced in U.S. foreign policy toward Nigeria since the country was first placed, and later removed, from the CPC list between 2020 and 2021.

The US Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation is reserved for nations that engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom under the International Religious Freedom Act. Nigeria was first designated a CPC by the Trump administration in 2020, but the Biden administration removed it from the list in 2021, citing improved engagement with Nigerian authorities.