“Nobody Believes That” — US Congressman Challenges Nigerian Minister’s Claim on Christian Deaths

Riley Moore, a member of the United States House of Representatives, has criticized Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, for claiming that only 177 Christians were killed in the country over the past five years. Tuggar made the statement during an appearance on Piers Morgan’s show, where he sought to counter allegations of Christian-targeted violence, clarify statistics, and discuss Nigeria’s broader security challenges.

On the program, Morgan referenced figures from the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), which reported that over 50,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria since 2009 and around 18,000 churches destroyed. Tuggar rejected these numbers, arguing that the government does not track deaths by religion and treats all victims as Nigerians first. He claimed that in the past five years, only 177 Christians were killed and 102 churches attacked.

Moore addressed the issue during a congressional hearing in Washington, DC, expressing concern over the wide gap between official Nigerian figures and independent reports. He noted that the Nigerian delegation in Washington has similarly disputed the higher estimates. “I don’t think there’s anybody who believes that,” Moore said, referring to Tuggar’s claim, and suggested that downplaying the situation is unhelpful.

The congressman also emphasized that Nigeria has a chance to strengthen its relationship with the US through “coordination and cooperation” with the American government, highlighting the potential for deeper engagement despite ongoing security challenges.