Nigeria: No, US Lawmaker Riley Moore Did Not Say Biafra's Secession Would Be Inevitable If US Failed to Protect Christians in Nigeria
In late October 2025, United States president Donald Trump characterised Nigeria as a "country of particular concern".
Trump also threatened military intervention to "completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists", whom he claimed were perpetrating Christian genocide.
A "country of particular concern" is a designation of a nation engaged in severe violations of religious freedom under the US's International Religious Freedom Act.
Nigerian president Bola Tinubu and his government rejected Trump's claims, saying the terror attacks also affected Muslims and people of other religions.
On 25 December, Trump made good on his threat to intervene militarily as the US, with the consent of Nigerian authorities, bombed terrorists' camps in Sokoto, northwestern Nigeria.
US lawmaker Riley Moore has been a leading supporter of Trump's interventions in Nigeria. He has made several public statements about terrorism and the alleged persecution of Christians in the West African country.
Moore has also introduced a resolution to the US house of representatives, saying: "The United States must make it clear that we will not tolerate the slaughter of Christians or the persecution of anyone for their belief in Jesus Christ."
Biafra refers to Nigeria's south-east region. It seceded in May 1967 and was reabsorbed into Nigeria in January 1970 after a 30-month civil war.
But did Moore tell Tinubu that "Biafra may become the only option" if the US did not secure the lives of Christians in Nigeria? We checked.
No such remarks from Moore
Moore led a US congressional delegation on a fact-finding mission to Nigeria in December 2025.
We analysed his public statements about the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. We found nothing suggesting that he said Biafra's secession would be the only option left if the US efforts to protect Christians from terrorists failed.
In February 2026, Moore wrote on X about his trip to Nigeria: "I have traveled to Nigeria and engaged in multiple high-level meetings ... to get a better understanding of the rampant persecution of Christians in Nigeria.
"In my discussions, the idea of dividing the country has not come up in any serious way. Efforts to embolden separatists hurts Christians in Nigeria - especially in the North and Middle Belt. A destabilized Nigeria would embolden terrorists and make Christians less safe in Nigeria and across the continent," the post reads, in part.
We found no evidence that Moore met or spoke with Tinubu during his visit. If he did, it would most likely have made headlines.
The claim is false.
This article originally appeared on Africa Check.