United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has fingered former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as complicit in the killings of Christians in Nigeria. He made the remark shortly after Kwankwaso reacted to the United States government’s plan for a military operation in Nigeria.
“Governor – do you care to comment on your own complicity in the death of Christians?” Moore wrote on social media. “You instituted Sharia law. You signed the law that makes so-called blasphemy punishable by death,” he added.
Kwankwaso had earlier issued a statement tackling U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments on Nigeria. The former Kano governor signed Sharia law in November 2000.
“I have noted with increasing concern the heightened pronouncements on Nigeria by President Donald Trump. This follows his designation of Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern.’ It is important to emphasise that our country is a sovereign nation whose people face different threats from outlaws across the country. The insecurity we face does not distinguish based on religious, ethnic, or political beliefs.”
Kwankwaso suggested that the United States should assist the Nigerian authorities with better technology to tackle these problems, rather than posing a threat that could further polarise the country. He also called for the Nigerian government to appoint special envoys to engage the American government and to ensure that Nigeria’s interests are represented internationally.
“To my fellow countrymen, this is an important moment where we should emphasise unity of belonging over division,” he concluded.
Earlier, Moore vowed to get to the root of the alleged “genocide against Christians” in Nigeria. Speaking to Fox News, he stated that Donald Trump would be presented with a range of policy options on how to address the situation.
“We are going to get right to work and get to the bottom of what’s happening and give President Trump a full menu of options that we can use to try to stop these killings,” he said. His comments come as Trump hinted at possible military action against Nigeria, following the establishment of a team to investigate the “killings of Christians” in the country, with Moore appointed as the lead.
On Friday, President Trump said that, in response to claims of genocide against Christians in Nigeria, he had redesignated the country as a “Country of Particular Concern.” He announced the decision on his Truth Social media platform, stating, “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN’ — But that is the least of it.”
The Nigerian government has denied claims of any Christian genocide in the country. President Bola Tinubu emphasized that Nigeria’s constitution enshrines the protection of religious rights and that his administration continues to ensure equality for all faiths across the nation.
After these comments, Trump noted that the United States military might come “gun-blazing” into Nigeria. “If the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities.”
“I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians,” he declared.
Nigeria, however, denied any genocide against Christians. President Tinubu reiterated that “Nigeria stands firmly as a democracy governed by constitutional guarantees of religious liberty.” He noted that since assuming office in 2023, his administration has maintained active engagement with both Christian and Muslim leaders while working to tackle security challenges affecting citizens regardless of religious affiliation.
“Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions,” he stated. Tinubu dismissed what he described as a mischaracterisation of Nigeria’s religious landscape by external observers, asserting that such claims fail to reflect the country’s diversity and the government’s ongoing efforts to promote peaceful coexistence.
“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians,” the President declared.
