Rep Moore, speaking in a recent interview on Newsmax TV, said he travelled to Nigeria in December as part of a congressional delegation tasked with assessing security conditions and humanitarian needs.
A United States congressman, Riley Moore, has again decried violent attacks against Christian communities in Nigeria, warning that extremist groups are escalating threats, including the recent ultimatum from ISIS demanding conversion or death.
Rep Moore, speaking in a recent interview on Newsmax TV, said he travelled to Nigeria in December as part of a congressional delegation tasked with assessing security conditions and humanitarian needs.
Moore in the interview extract shared on his X handle, said the visit was conducted at the direction of President Donald Trump and included meetings with internally displaced people (IDPs) living in refugee camps.
“What we heard on the ground was absolutely heartbreaking,” Moore narrated. “I met women who watched their children murdered in front of them, families torn apart, unborn children killed. This is the most barbaric violence you can imagine.”
Moore claimed that ISIS had issued a statement threatening Christians in Nigeria, saying they must “convert or die,” or pay to live under what the group described as a caliphate. He said such rhetoric underscores what he views as a deliberate campaign against Christian communities.
ISIS recently issued a statement saying Christians of Nigeria must either convert or die.
We will never back down from supporting our brothers and sisters in Christ, and I'm glad to see the Nigerian government is working in coordination and cooperation with @POTUS to defeat… pic.twitter.com/o0fBoIy6LZ
— Rep. Riley M. Moore (@RepRileyMoore) January 5, 2026
“We cannot stand by and allow the slaughter of Christians to continue in Nigeria,” Moore said during the interview. “This is not random violence. This is targeted persecution.”
The West Virginia Republican said the Nigerian government is working closely with the United States to counter extremist groups operating in the country, including ISIS-linked factions and Fulani Islamist militants active in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
According to Moore, cooperation has intensified in recent months. “The good news here is that the government of Nigeria is working with the United States,” he said. “The strike we carried out was done in coordination and cooperation with the Nigerian government. We are moving in a positive direction.”
Moore asserted that U.S. military support, including a strike he said involved twelve Tomahawk cruise missiles around Christmas, helped deter attacks during the holiday period.
"For the first time in two years, Christians were not massacred on Christmas,” he said. “Instead, the terrorists paid the price.”
While details of such military actions have not been independently confirmed, Moore said discussions are underway to establish a broader U.S.–Nigeria strategic security framework.
He described the effort as aimed at closing “capability gaps” within Nigeria’s military and improving intelligence and counterterrorism support.
During the interview, Moore referenced images shown on television of displaced civilians, including a woman holding a child. He said she was among those he met during his visit.
“That woman watched all five of her children murdered, escaped while pregnant, and later gave birth in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp,” Moore said. “She is still living there today, and those camps are still being attacked.”
Moore also rejected arguments that the violence is primarily driven by climate change or land disputes between farmers and herders—an explanation often cited by analysts and human rights groups.
“If this isn’t about persecuting Christians, then why are churches being burned?” he asked. “Why are IDP camps being targeted? Why is ISIS saying ‘convert or die’?”
He added that while Nigerians of various backgrounds have been killed, Christian communities face a “specific focus” from extremist groups.
Human rights organisations have long documented widespread insecurity in Nigeria, where Boko Haram, ISIS-West Africa Province, and armed militias have carried out mass killings and kidnappings.
Debate continues over the root causes of the violence, which many experts say include a mix of religious extremism, ethnic tensions, economic pressures, and weak governance.
Moore said his conclusions are based on firsthand accounts. “I’m telling you as someone who was on the ground,” he said. “What is happening in Nigeria is Christian persecution.”