NEWS
U.S Lawmaker, Riley Moore, Issues Stark Warning to Nigeria Over Rising Insecurity, Cites Jos Palm Sunday Killings and Signals Possible Trump-Led Intervention
…Tells Nigerian Govt, “Step Up Or We Will Take The Lead“
A United States lawmaker, Riley Moore of West Virginia, has raised fresh concerns over Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, warning that failure to decisively address the situation could prompt direct intervention measures from President Donald Trump.
The warning follows the deadly Palm Sunday attack in Jos, Jos, which has drawn international attention and heightened scrutiny of Nigeria’s internal security challenges.
Speaking during an interview on Newsmax, Moore described the Jos attack as deeply tragic and alarming.
“So as you just reported, unfortunately, we’ve had 40 individuals who were killed at a Palm Sunday service, which is just tragic.”
Moore revealed that a comprehensive report detailing Nigeria’s insecurity has been submitted to the White House. According to him, the document stems from an in-depth investigation into recent waves of violence across the country and incorporates findings from his recent visit to Nigeria.
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Moore emphasized that the report highlighted recurring attacks on religious gatherings, pointing to disturbing patterns of violence and civilian casualties. He referenced not only the Jos incident but also another attack in Kaduna State involving a religious gathering.
“And then on top of that, you had another 13 Christians killed by Islamic radical militants at a Christian wedding on Sunday,” he said.
On diplomatic engagement, Moore indicated that the United States has proposed several recommendations aimed at strengthening cooperation with Nigerian authorities to combat insecurity.
“So we have a number of suggestions here of how the Nigerian government can work with the United States government to address this,” he said
However, he made it clear that Washington may take independent action if Nigeria fails to respond swiftly and effectively.
“But as President Trump has been very clear on this, if they don’t address this, we’re going to address it for them. Now, we will like to address it in cooperation and coordination but if they don’t do that, if they don’t step up to the plate here, we are going to start to take the lead on this,” he said.
Providing insight into current U.S. involvement, Moore disclosed that American military personnel are already working alongside Nigerian forces to strengthen operational capacity.
“Now, currently, we have 200 military individuals from our armed forces there training and working with the Nigerian military to try to address the capability gaps that they have there,” he said.
He further noted the deployment of advanced aerial surveillance and combat systems to support ongoing efforts.
“We have MQ-9 Reapers there currently as well.”
Moore also referenced previous U.S. military operations in Nigeria, including targeted strikes against extremist groups.
“Tomahawk cruise missile strike just around Christmas in Nigeria to try to address ISIS and Boko Haram, which also operate in that country, largely unfettered, which is a terrible, terrible situation,” he said.
While acknowledging that Nigerian authorities have made some efforts to tackle insecurity, Moore expressed dissatisfaction with the pace and effectiveness of those actions.
“But look, the Nigerian government has been trying to make some steps toward this, but they’re not doing it fast enough; things aren’t happening quick enough. And these things keep happening, so something’s got to give here,” he said.
He also dismissed claims that Nigeria’s security crisis is overly complex, arguing that the pattern of attacks speaks for itself.
“Well, I mean, that’s just a false claim on its face, right?” he said.
Reinforcing his position, Moore pointed again to the targeted nature of recent attacks on religious gatherings.
“But we’re here talking about, you and I, a Palm Service Sunday being attacked by Islamic radicals. We’re talking about a Christian wedding being attacked by Islamic radicals,” he said.