Representative Riley Moore (R-W.Va.) has publicly backed President Donald Trump’s warning of possible U.S. military intervention in Nigeria, citing what he described as the “genocide” of Christians at the hands of Islamist militants.
Moore, who was appointed by Trump to lead a congressional investigation into the killings, said all options remain on the table—including sanctions and kinetic military action—unless the Nigerian government takes urgent steps to protect vulnerable communities.
The move comes amid Trump’s tougher posture toward Nigeria: the President has placed the nation on a business and arms-export watch list, halted certain U.S. aid programs, and ordered the Pentagon to prepare contingency military plans targeting extremist groups operating in the region.
Despite these signals, Nigeria’s government rejected the designation of state-backed religious persecution and stressed the country will not accept unilateral U.S. intervention without its consent. Analysts say the growing U.S. pressure underscores Washington’s strategy shift toward greater involvement in foreign-based religious-freedom and human-rights issues.