U.S. lawmaker rejects China’s warning over possible American intervention in Nigeria

U.S. lawmaker rejects China’s warning over possible American intervention in Nigeria

A United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has dismissed China’s warning to Washington over potential U.S. military involvement in Nigeria, insisting that America will not bow to pressure from Beijing.

Moore was reacting to reports that China had cautioned the U.S. against intervening in what it described as Nigeria’s internal affairs. He argued that the United States has a moral duty to defend Christians facing violent attacks in parts of the country.

In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, Moore aligned himself with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s stance on religious freedom, praising his defence of persecuted Christian communities.

“President Trump is absolutely right to defend our brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering horrific persecution, and even martyrdom, for their faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,” he wrote.

Moore also accused China of hypocrisy, pointing to its own record of human-rights abuses.

“China will not dictate our foreign policy to us, and we will not be lectured to by a Communist autocracy that recently arrested 30 Christian pastors for their faith and throws ethnic minorities in concentration camps,” he said.

READ ALSO:

• Liverpool show class, beat Real Madrid at Anfield
• Ugandan security forces kill militia leader behind weekend attacks on police, army posts
• Petrol price drops to N880.5/litre at depots

His remarks come after China criticised the U.S. for threatening to intervene in Nigeria over the killing of Christians. Beijing declared its support for the Nigerian government, urging foreign powers to respect the country’s sovereignty.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, said during a press briefing that China “firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs, and threatening other countries with sanctions or force.”

The Nigerian government has also commented. Presidential aide Daniel Bwala dismissed the U.S. position as propaganda aimed at undermining President Bola Tinubu’s administration, insisting that no verified reports prove state-backed persecution.

Bwala stressed that Nigeria remains a sovereign nation and does not require foreign military involvement.

The dispute unfolds amid heightened global concern over continued attacks on Christian communities in northern Nigeria.

In a related development, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has called for targeted sanctions against individuals sponsoring religious violence in Nigeria, urging stronger pressure on the Nigerian government to protect affected groups.

U.S. lawmaker rejects China’s warning over possible American intervention in Nigeria