United States President Donald Trump has directed Rep. Riley Moore and the House Appropriations Committee to launch a formal investigation into alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria, triggering a high-level joint congressional briefing scheduled for Tuesday.
Moore confirmed the directive in a post on X, stating that the President had instructed him and the committee to examine mounting reports of violence against Christian communities. He added that a roundtable session would be convened as part of ongoing efforts to gather evidence.
In a separate announcement, the committee revealed that senior lawmakers including Mario Diaz-Balart, Chair of the National Security and Department of State panel, and Robert Aderholt, head of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education subcommittee would lead Tuesday’s briefing alongside Moore. The session will be held jointly with members of the House Foreign Affairs and Financial Services panels and expert witnesses specializing in global religious freedom.
A formal statement from the committee emphasized that testimony will be gathered to support a comprehensive report ordered by President Trump, focusing on the “escalating violence and targeted persecution of Christians in Nigeria.” The briefing will also involve the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
This renewed scrutiny follows Trump’s October 2025 decision to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern”, citing what he described on Truth Social as an “existential threat” to Christian communities and alleging mass killings by extremist groups. He also tasked Moore, Tom Cole, and other appropriators with delivering a detailed assessment.
The Christian Association of Nigeria had previously warned that Christian populations across parts of northern Nigeria were facing severe attacks, fatalities, and destruction of worship centers claims echoed by several U.S. lawmakers. Nigerian authorities, however, continue to deny that the country’s insecurity is religiously targeted, maintaining that violence affects citizens of all faiths.