US Congressman Riley Moore has opposed any move by Washington to remove Nigeria from its Country of Particular Concern (CPC) designation, arguing that the Nigerian government has not done enough to protect Christian communities from continued attacks.
Moore made his position public on August 18–19, 2026, amid renewed violence in Plateau State and ongoing discussions between Nigeria and the United States over the country’s religious-freedom situation.
The Republican lawmaker said Nigeria should remain on the CPC list, citing what he described as continued killings of Christians. His comments came shortly after the United States and Nigeria held the second session of their Joint Working Group in Washington to review measures addressing Nigeria’s CPC designation.
The August 12 meeting, led on the Nigerian side by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and on the states side by Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, focused on protecting vulnerable communities, particularly in the Middle Belt, prosecuting perpetrators of violence, resettling internally displaced persons and strengthening counterterrorism cooperation.
Moore’s intervention followed a deadly attack on Bin-Per community in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State. According to Anadolu Agency, at least 24 people were killed after gunmen attacked the community late Monday and into the early hours of Tuesday, moving from house to house while residents were asleep.
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The attack prompted renewed concern in Washington. The United States Bureau of African Affairs condemned the violence and called on Nigerian authorities to protect civilians and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
The CPC designation is used by the United States to identify countries where it determines that severe violations of religious freedom are taking place. Nigeria’s status has become a major point of discussion in bilateral relations, with Washington pressing Abuja to demonstrate measurable improvements in protecting vulnerable religious communities.
Nigeria and the United States have continued diplomatic and security discussions over the issue, meaning there is currently no confirmed announcement that Nigeria’s CPC designation will be lifted. Instead, the two countries are still reviewing Nigeria’s progress against the concerns that led to the designation.
Moore’s latest comments therefore represent opposition to any potential removal of the designation, rather than an official united states decision on whether Nigeria will remain on or leave the CPC list.
