AfriqueCAN
A United States congressman, Riley Moore, has condemned the attacks on Christians in Nigeria, warning that it could strain diplomatic relations with the US, following reports of a deadly Palm Sunday assault in Jos, Plateau State.
In a post via X on Monday, the lawmaker described the reported killing of at least 10 Christians in Anguwan Rukuba on Sunday as part of a troubling pattern of violence targeting worshippers during religious observances.
Moore, who was part of a United States fact-finding delegation on alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria, further added that such attacks have become frequent during Christian holy days, urging Nigerian authorities to take decisive action to prevent further bloodshed.
“This Palm Sunday, reports from Nigeria indicate that at least 10 Christians were martyred in the city of Jos. Radical Islamic terrorists opened fire on the Christians before hacking them to pieces with machetes. This is sickening and unacceptable, but it’s not surprising,” he stated.
“This tragedy follows a pattern of radical Islamic terrorists massacring Christians on Holy Days. In fact, terrorists have attacked Christians in Nigeria on every single holy day in recent memory, except for last Christmas when President Trump sent 12 Tomahawk cruise missiles to stop them.”
The lawmaker asked the Federal Government to urgently strengthen security measures ahead of upcoming religious events.
“Abuja knows this pattern, and they must massively ramp up security for the Triduum and Easter. If they don’t take this threat seriously and mobilize to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ, blood of these martyrs will be on their hands, and there will be significant consequences for Nigeria’s relationship with the United States,” he stated.
Plateau, just like other states in the North-Central and North-West, has been under attack by non-state actors recently.
On March 14, Gunmen suspected to be bandits killed 20 people and rustled cattle from a village in Jos in a “bandit” attack, a local development organisation said on Saturday.
According to the Kanam Development Association (KADA), the gunmen ambushed soldiers on a routine patrol.
“In the unfortunate exchange of gunfire that followed the ambush, our nation lost brave defenders who paid the ultimate price in the line of duty,” KADA said, adding 12 security personnel and eight people who joined them to protect their communities had died.
The gunmen then stormed a nearby community and stole property, including cattle.
“This further compounds the suffering of already vulnerable rural communities,” KADA said, adding villages in the area had been subject to repeated attacks and kidnappings in recent years.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is also battling an insurgency, with the Nigerian army’s attempts to fight the uptick in radical Islamist violence complicated by the presence of other armed groups in the region.
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