A member of the United States House of Representatives, Riley Moore, has described recent airstrikes carried out in North West Nigeria as an important initial step toward addressing long standing insecurity and protecting vulnerable communities across the country.
Riley Moore, a United States Congressman representing the state of West Virginia and a member of the Republican Party, made the remarks on Friday while posting on his official account on X, formerly known as Twitter. He said the coordinated strikes signaled a firm response to violence affecting Christian communities and the broader Nigerian population.
According to Moore, the military action was only the beginning of a wider effort to restore security. He stated that the air operations marked “just the first step to ending the slaughter of Christians and the security crisis affecting all Nigerians.”
Okay News reports that the United States lawmaker linked the strikes directly to the foreign policy posture of United States President, Donald Trump, who returned to office in January 2025 after winning the 2024 presidential election.
“President Trump has been clear that the killing of Christians in Nigeria must end,” Moore said.
“As I stated at the outset: Do not test President Trump’s resolve in this matter,” the congressman added.
Moore’s comments followed public confirmation that United States military forces, acting under the directive of President Donald Trump, had carried out airstrikes targeting terrorist groups affiliated with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in North West Nigeria. The region has experienced persistent attacks linked to insurgency, banditry, and violent extremism.
In a separate statement shared online, United States Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, said the operations were conducted with the knowledge and cooperation of the Nigerian authorities. He emphasized that the mission aligned with earlier warnings issued by the White House.
“The President was clear last month: the killing of innocent Christians in Nigeria and elsewhere must end. The Department of War is always ready. Grateful for Nigerian government support and cooperation,” Hegseth wrote.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs later confirmed that the airstrikes formed part of an established security partnership between Nigeria and its international allies. The ministry said the cooperation focuses on intelligence sharing and joint efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism.
Beyond his public statements, Moore recently completed a fact finding visit to Nigeria aimed at examining reports of attacks on Christian communities. He led a five member congressional delegation during the mission.
While in Nigeria, the delegation visited internally displaced persons camps, met survivors of terrorist violence, engaged Christian religious leaders, and held discussions with traditional rulers in Benue State, a region in central Nigeria that has experienced repeated security challenges.
The delegation also held meetings with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, a former chairman of Nigeria’s anti corruption agency, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, Nigeria’s chief law officer.
Speaking during an interview on Fox News, a United States based television network, Moore described the accounts he heard during the visit as deeply disturbing. He recalled testimonies from victims, including a woman who lost five children while she was pregnant, and another who lost her husband, two daughters, and an unborn child.
“This is one of the most dangerous states in Nigeria. They are trying to erase Christians in Benue and across Nigeria from their ancestral homeland,” Moore said.
The congressman further disclosed that President Trump had directed him, alongside the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Tom Cole, to submit a detailed report with recommendations before the end of the month. The task followed Nigeria’s designation by the United States as a Country of Particular Concern, a classification used for nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom.
