A United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has accused former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, of being involved in the killing of Christians in Nigeria.
Moore made the allegation after Kwankwaso reacted to reports about a possible U.S. military intervention in Nigeria.
Taking to social media, Moore questioned the former governor’s record, writing, “Governor, do you care to comment on your own complicity in the death of Christians? You instituted Sharia law. You signed the law that makes so-called blasphemy punishable by death.”
Kwankwaso, who was Kano State governor when Sharia law was introduced in November 2000, had earlier responded to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments about Nigeria’s security issues.
In his statement, Kwankwaso warned the U.S. against taking unilateral action, stressing that Nigeria is a sovereign nation dealing with security challenges that affect people across all religious and ethnic groups.
“The insecurity we face does not distinguish based on religious, ethnic, or political beliefs,” he said, urging the U.S. to assist Nigeria through advanced technology and diplomacy instead of military threats.
Kwankwaso further called for Nigeria to appoint special envoys and ambassadors to engage Washington in a constructive manner, emphasising unity over division among Nigerians.
Meanwhile, Moore has vowed to push for investigations into what he described as “genocide against Christians” in Nigeria.
Speaking to Fox News, he said President Trump would soon receive policy recommendations on possible U.S. responses to the alleged killings.
“We are going to get right to work and give President Trump a full menu of options to stop these killings,” he said.
Earlier, Trump had hinted at potential U.S. military intervention, citing the rising attacks on Christians in Nigeria.
He announced via his Truth Social account that Nigeria had been redesignated as a “Country of Particular Concern,” accusing “radical Islamists” of being behind the violence.
“Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter,” Trump wrote, warning that the U.S. could “go in guns blazing” if Nigeria failed to act.
However, the Nigerian government rejected the claims of genocide, maintaining that the country remains dedicated to safeguarding the rights of all citizens irrespective of faith.
President Bola Tinubu reaffirmed Nigeria’s constitutional protection of religious freedom, stating that his administration continues to work with religious leaders to promote national harmony.
“The portrayal of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” Tinubu said, adding that his government is committed to ensuring peace and coexistence across all regions and faiths.
