The U.S. is escalating pressure over attacks on Christians in Nigeria, with top Republicans pushing an investigation and warning that sanctions or military measures are options. Officials say designating Nigeria as a country of particular concern opens a range of tools, while administration and congressional leaders weigh diplomacy, aid restrictions, and possible targeted strikes. Nigerian authorities deny the charge of a one-sided campaign, and the situation is complicated by militants like Boko Haram, economic interests in minerals, and long-standing governance problems. The debate now centers on how hard the U.S. should push and whether cooperation with Nigeria can be salvaged if the government acts.
Republican Rep. Riley Moore framed the crisis bluntly, saying the United States could use sanctions and “even kinetic military action” in response to what he called the “genocide” of Christians in Nigeria. Trump tapped Moore and Chairman Tom Cole to lead a congressional inquiry into the killing of Christians by Islamist militants, signaling the White House and Congress are aligned on getting answers. That alignment was amplified when the president designated Nigeria as a country of particular concern and ordered the Pentagon to prepare options for intervention.
In a Truth Social post this week the president warned he would “do things to Nigeria that Nigeria is not going to be happy about” and “go into that now-disgraced country guns-a-blazing.” Those words landed hard in Washington and in Abuja, putting pressure on Nigerian leaders to respond or face a suite of U.S. steps. Moore told reporters the designation unlocks “15 different levers” the administration can use, from stopping arms sales to freezing aid or sanctioning officials accused of ignoring religious violence.
Moore was explicit about the range of responses. “All options are on the table here for this, even kinetic military action,” he said. “That could mean targeted, strategic counterterrorism strikes to get rid of some of the top leadership if that’s what it takes to stop the killing.” He argued decades of U.S. security assistance have not been matched by prioritization from Nigerian authorities, noting, “We’ve been providing security assistance to this country since at least 2009 – billions of dollars worth of arm sales, training and equipment that they’ve received.”
The congressman said he is coordinating with the House Appropriations Committee and the State Department to map out legislative steps and is consulting with NGOs and Christian groups on the ground to document abuses. He described patterns of violence as a deliberate campaign, claiming Christians are being killed at roughly a five-to-one rate compared with non-Christians. Moore offered a grim example: “We had a pastor warn the government about an impending attack — they called it fake news. Within 24 hours, that pastor and 20 of his congregants were murdered.”
The Nigerian presidency has firmly rejected the genocide label, writing on X, “Portraying Nigeria’s security challenges as a targeted campaign against a single religious group is a gross misrepresentation of reality. Terrorists attack all who reject their murderous ideology — Muslims, Christians, and those of no faith alike.” That pushback highlights how politically fraught any U.S. response will be, since Abuja insists its fight is against extremists and criminals rather than a faith-based purge.
Moore and Cole plan meetings with Nigerian officials in Washington and have not ruled out sending delegations to the country as part of the probe. He stressed the U.S. approach could include incentives: “It’s not all sticks here — there are some carrots in this,” he said, noting that cooperation could actually lead to a stronger bilateral relationship if Nigeria acts to confront extremism. The message is clear: change behavior and the U.S. will respond positively; fail to act and consequences will follow.
Nigeria is a vast, diverse country of more than 230 million people with a complex religious landscape and a long history of regional tensions. Christianity became rooted in the south during the 19th century through returning freed slaves and missionary efforts, while the north remains predominantly Muslim. Years of corruption and mismanagement have left much of the population struggling despite substantial oil wealth and growing deposits of lithium, cobalt, nickel, and other critical minerals.
Those mineral reserves have drawn U.S. attention as Washington looks to diversify supply chains and counter China’s reach in Africa, with agencies eyeing investment in Nigeria’s nascent lithium sector. But insecurity in mining regions and the broader violence make reliable engagement difficult, and companies worry about the safety of projects and workers. Persistent attacks in rural and border areas also threaten any long-term development game plan.
For more than a decade, Boko Haram and affiliated groups have terrorized communities in northern Nigeria, burning villages, attacking churches, and abducting civilians. The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law reports staggering figures: at least 52,000 Christians killed, some 18,500 abducted and unlikely to have survived, and 20,000 churches and Christian schools attacked from 2009 to 2023. The 2014 kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls shocked the world and remains a symbol of the group’s brutality.
U.S. military options face practical limits. Washington has no permanent base in Nigeria, though small teams of advisers and special operations trainers have worked periodically under AFRICOM programs. A direct, large-scale U.S. combat campaign would be difficult to mount, and defense officials note current assets on the ground are limited. Still, Congress and the administration are signaling they will use diplomatic, economic, and selective military tools if Nigeria does not take decisive action.
Over the past decade the U.S. approved roughly $600 million in security assistance aimed mainly at counterterrorism in the northeast, illustrating a long-term investment that some Republicans now argue must be matched by accountability. The unfolding fight over Nigeria will test whether the U.S. can press for protection of religious minorities while preserving cooperation on shared security and economic interests.
