A United States lawmaker, Rep. Riley Moore, has urged the Trump administration to retain Nigeria on the US list of Countries of Particular Concern (CPC), citing continued attacks on Christian communities in the country’s Middle Belt.

Moore made the position known on Wednesday in a post on his official X account while reacting to comments from the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs concerning a recent attack in Plateau State.

The Congressman supported the State Department’s demand for the Nigerian government to strengthen the protection of Christian communities and hold those responsible for violence accountable.

“We absolutely CANNOT remove the CPC designation from Nigeria while radical Islamic terrorists continue this horrific violence,” Moore said.

He added that the Nigerian government must fulfil its commitments to protect civilians and vulnerable Christian communities.

His comments followed a statement by the US Bureau of African Affairs condemning the latest violence in Plateau State, where more than 24 people were reportedly killed, while several others remained missing.

Residents in the affected communities said the attackers invaded the villages at night and opened fire on people in their homes. The attacks reportedly left families displaced, with community leaders describing the incident as barbaric and calling for increased security deployments in vulnerable rural areas.

The US Bureau of African Affairs expressed concern over the violence, particularly because it occurred shortly after a meeting of the CPC Working Group.

The Bureau said the United States was “horrified” by the attack and urged the Nigerian government to protect Christian communities and ensure that perpetrators were brought to justice.

The latest statements from Moore and the State Department have renewed pressure on Washington to maintain Nigeria’s CPC designation as violence continues in Plateau, Benue and other parts of the Middle Belt.

The Nigerian government, however, has consistently rejected claims that the conflicts are primarily driven by religious persecution, maintaining that many of the incidents are linked to disputes over land and resources, as well as criminal activity.

The US first designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern in 2020 under the International Religious Freedom Act, a classification reserved for countries accused of engaging in or tolerating severe and systematic violations of religious freedom.

Nigeria was removed from the CPC list in 2021 but continued to face monitoring by the US State Department. The Trump administration subsequently restored the designation last year.

Since then, the Nigeria-US Joint Working Group has held two meetings to assess developments following the designation and examine measures taken by the Nigerian government to address Washington’s concerns.

The CPC status is subject to an annual review by the US State Department, with the next review expected in November.