A United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has warned that moves to encourage separatist agendas in Nigeria could worsen insecurity and put Christians at greater risk across the country.
Moore, a member of the United States House of Representatives, said this in a statement shared on his official X account (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, 7 February 2026.
Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and a major West African nation that has faced years of violent attacks and other security problems in several regions, including the North and parts of the central area often called the Middle Belt.
Moore said he recently travelled to Nigeria on what he described as a fact-finding visit to better understand claims of persecution against Christians.
Okay News reports that he said he met Nigerian government officials, church leaders, humanitarian groups, and people displaced by violence during the trip.
“I have travelled to Nigeria and engaged in multiple high-level meetings with Nigerian officials, the Church, aid groups across the country, and IDPs, to get a better understanding of the rampant persecution of Christians in Nigeria,” he wrote, referring to internally displaced persons (IDPs), people forced to leave their homes because of conflict or disaster.
He added that, during his conversations, he did not hear serious proposals about splitting the country.
“In my discussions, the idea of dividing the country has not come up in any serious way,” Moore said.
He argued that pushing separatist movements could harm Christians most in Nigeria’s North and the Middle Belt, which broadly refers to parts of north-central Nigeria.
“Efforts to embolden separatists hurt Christians in Nigeria, especially in the North and Middle Belt,” he stated.
Moore also warned that weakening Nigeria could create more room for violent extremist groups and make Christians less safe.
“A destabilised Nigeria would embolden terrorists and make Christians less safe in Nigeria and across the continent,” he said.
He further pointed to recent security cooperation between the United States and Nigeria as a step he believes can help reduce violence and strengthen ties between both countries.
“The US and Nigeria have just entered into a security cooperation agreement, and that is an important step in tackling the violence in Nigeria and deepening and strengthening the bilateral relationship between our great nations,” he said.
Moore said he would continue to support efforts aimed at protecting people affected by terrorism and insecurity in Nigeria.
“I remain committed to working to save the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ and for that matter, all Nigerians suffering from the instability wrought by terrorists throughout Nigeria. God bless you all,” he added.
He also said he met Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang. Plateau is a state in north-central Nigeria, a region that has recorded repeated violent incidents in recent years.
Moore said the discussion focused on ways to deepen cooperation, and he described the meeting as “both substantive and forward-looking”, with attention on strengthening ties between the two countries and tackling insecurity, including concerns around attacks on Christians in the Middle Belt.
