WASHINGTON, USA — Riley Moore, a member of the United States House of Representatives, has rejected a claim by Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s minister of foreign affairs, that only 177 Christians were killed in the country over the past five years, saying the figure is neither credible nor helpful in addressing concerns about religious violence.
Moore made the remarks on Thursday, November 20, 2025, during a congressional hearing in Washington examining allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria.
His comments come two days after Tuggar appeared on Piers Morgan’s television programme to rebut claims of a Christian genocide.
During the televised interview, Morgan cited figures from the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), which alleges that more than 50,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria since 2009 and 18,000 churches destroyed.
Tuggar dismissed the findings as inaccurate and argued that the Nigerian government does not categorise victims by faith, insisting it views all citizens as equal.
Pressed repeatedly for figures, Tuggar claimed that only 177 Christians were killed and 102 churches attacked within the last five years — a statement that has triggered widespread criticism.
Moore said he was struck by the disparity between the minister’s figures and those widely reported by international researchers, human rights groups and US officials.
“I recently saw the foreign minister was in some interview, I think it was Piers Morgan, and it was the same thing when they (the delegation) came here and some of us spoke to them, just disputing these numbers,” he said.
“I think the foreign minister said in the last five years there’s only 177 Christians have been killed. I don’t think there’s anybody believes that, and I don’t think that it’s necessarily constructive on their part to try to downplay what’s happening here.”
Moore added that the number cited by Tuggar could be recorded “in just the last couple of months”, referring to the frequency of attacks across parts of northern and central Nigeria.
The congressman emphasised that the US–Nigeria relationship stands at a critical juncture and urged Nigeria to address the issue transparently.
“Nigeria has an opportunity to strengthen, deepen and broaden its relationship with the United States,” Moore said.
“That’s possible if the country does that in coordination and cooperation with the US government.”
Tuggar, who is currently in Washington as part of a Nigerian delegation engaging US officials on the controversy, has argued that the insecurity in Nigeria is complex and driven by criminality, extremism, land disputes and governance challenges — not religious persecution alone.
But US lawmakers say downplaying the numbers risks undermining international efforts to confront violence affecting both Christian and Muslim communities.
The debate comes as global attention intensifies following reports of mass abductions, escalating attacks and rising intercommunal tensions in multiple Nigerian states.
