U.S. Congressman Riley Moore (R-W.V.) has delivered a stark congressional report to President Donald Trump, exposing what he describes as a deadly nexus between Chinese illegal mining operations in Nigeria and the financing of radical Islamic terrorists responsible for the systematic slaughter of Christians.
In a recent Fox News appearance on The Faulkner Focus with Harris Faulkner, Moore highlighted a critical but underreported element of the crisis: Chinese entities are conducting unauthorized rare earth mineral mining in Nigeria’s northern regions.
According to the congressman, these operations involve paying “protection money” directly to radical Islamic terrorists, who then use the funds to sustain and expand their campaigns of violence against Christian communities.
“This cannot continue,” Moore declared in his post sharing the interview clip.
“They are paying protection money to radical Islamic terrorists who use that money to finance their operations to persecute and kill our brothers and sisters in Christ.”
The report, produced following an investigation requested by President Trump after redesignating Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act, details the scale of the persecution.
It points to estimates from advocacy groups like Open Doors indicating that tens of thousands of Christians have been killed in Nigeria in recent years, with the country repeatedly identified as the deadliest place in the world for followers of the faith.
Specific figures cited in related congressional statements and resolutions include over 50,000 to 100,000 Christians martyred since 2009, with thousands more killed annually—including more than 7,000 in a single recent year alone, averaging dozens of deaths per day.
The violence is largely attributed to groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province), and Fulani terrorists, who target Christian villages, churches, and clergy in coordinated attacks often timed to Christian holy days.
The report emphasizes that Fulani terrorists bear primary responsibility for many assaults on Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region.
Moore’s recommendations to the White House include targeted sanctions and visa restrictions against perpetrators and enablers of the violence, withholding certain U.S. aid until the Nigerian government demonstrates concrete progress in protecting vulnerable communities, disarming terrorist groups, and countering foreign exploitation—including Chinese illegal mining activities.
The congressman also calls for a bilateral security agreement between the United States and Nigeria to eliminate jihadist terror activity, protect Christian populations, promote legitimate self-defense for farmers, and address illicit weapons flows.
Additional measures involve launching a National Intelligence Estimate to evaluate potential Foreign Terrorist Organization designations for groups like Fulani terrorists, and leveraging trade tools—such as restrictions on beef exports tied to certain networks—to pressure disarmament.
China has rejected these allegations as baseless, insisting that its companies adhere to zero-tolerance policies on illegal activities and that claims of funding terrorists are fabricated.
Some Nigerian sources acknowledge widespread illegal mining but dispute direct links to terrorism financing, attributing much of the insecurity to other factors like ransom payments or local dynamics.
The report follows Moore’s earlier efforts, including resolutions condemning the persecution, visits to Nigeria where he met survivors of horrific attacks, and advocacy for stronger U.S. action.
It underscores a broader push to counter extremist influence in the region while addressing adversarial foreign involvement from actors like China and Russia.
As the Trump administration weighs the proposals, the issue has intensified debates over religious freedom, international security, and U.S. foreign policy priorities in Africa.
Moore insists the moral imperative is clear: the slaughter of innocents for their faith demands urgent, decisive response.
