Riley Moore
Riley Moore, a member of the US house of representatives, met with a delegation of 10 senior members of the Nigerian government in Washington, DC, on November 19.
Moore has been one of the US politicians insistent on claims of Christian persecution in Nigeria.
On November 7, Moore introduced a resolution in the house “condemning the ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria and supporting President Donald J. Trump’s announcement to officially designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern”.
Among the delegation to see Moore on Wednesday were Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA) and leader of the team; Bianca Ojukwu, minister of state for foreign affairs; Kayode Egbetokun, inspector general of police (IGP); Lateef Fagbemi, attorney general of the federation; and Olufemi Oluyede, chief of defence staff.
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In a statement, Moore said “the meeting allowed for a frank, honest, and productive discussion about the ongoing persecution of Christians and ongoing terrorist threats in Nigeria and opportunities for strengthened cooperation and coordination between the United States and Nigeria to end the bloodshed”.
He also told the Nigerian team that Trump, who had threatened to go into Nigeria “guns-a-blazing”, does not “make idle threats”.
“During the meeting, Nigerian officials shared their government’s challenges and concerns regarding counterterrorism, security assistance, protection of vulnerable communities, and ongoing issues involving violence across Nigeria,” he said.
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“The United States stands ready to coordinate and cooperate with Nigeria, and that, as President Trump made abundantly clear, the United States will not tolerate continued violence against Christians or other forms of religious persecution.”
The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims of targeted Christian killings in the country.
