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‘Most Persecuted Faith’ – US Congressman Alleges Mass Anti-Christian Violence In Nigeria

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A United States congressman, Riley Moore, has alleged that Christians in Nigeria are facing widespread persecution, recounting what he described as first-hand accounts of killings, church burnings and forced displacement during a congressional visit to the country.

Moore made the remarks during an interview with American Catholic theologian, Bishop Robert Barron, in which he criticised the administration of former US President Joe Biden for what he described as its failure to adequately respond to religious violence in Nigeria.

The lawmaker also accused the Biden administration of removing Nigeria from the United States Department of State’s list of Countries of Particular Concern over religious freedom violations.

Moore faulted explanations that linked violence in parts of Nigeria primarily to climate change and farmer-herder conflicts.

According to him, such explanations failed to account for the scale of destruction allegedly targeted at Christian communities.

“That does not explain burning down over 20,000 churches. That doesn’t explain killing men, women and children,” Moore said.

The congressman claimed the previous US administration had “absurdly” downplayed what he described as the systematic targeting of Christians.

Moore said he visited internally displaced persons camps in Benue State where he met survivors who recounted traumatic experiences.

According to him, one woman told the delegation she witnessed the killing of her husband and two children before her unborn child was also lost.

He added that another victim reportedly lost all five of her children during attacks.

The lawmaker alleged that some camps housing displaced persons had also come under repeated attacks from armed groups, including factions linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State.

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Moore described Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt as facing serious threats from extremist groups.

“It’s not even close, Christianity is the most persecuted faith on the planet right now,” he said.

He argued that the religious dimension of the violence should not be ignored, pointing to extremist ideologies that target Christian communities.

At the same time, Moore acknowledged that Muslims who oppose Boko Haram and other extremist groups have also been victims of violence.

“All lives are sacred,” he said, while maintaining that Christian communities remained disproportionately affected.

The West Virginia lawmaker disclosed that he was part of a congressional delegation that visited Nigeria and met government officials in Abuja.

According to him, the delegation included senior US lawmakers and was dispatched following concerns about religious freedom and insecurity.

Moore said President Donald Trump had redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern and publicly announced plans for him to investigate the situation and submit recommendations.

He added that the delegation travelled under heavy security, including the use of armoured convoys.

The congressman said recommendations submitted after the visit included strengthening local security structures, imposing targeted sanctions on individuals linked to violence and expanding economic cooperation between the United States and Nigeria.

He also raised concerns about China’s activities in Nigeria, alleging that Chinese interests were exploiting weak governance structures to gain access to valuable mineral resources.

Moore accused Beijing of engaging in illegal mining activities and supporting conditions that undermine security and stability, although he did not provide evidence to support the claims.

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During the discussion, Bishop Barron lamented what he described as the limited international attention given to the security crisis in Nigeria despite its severity.

He compared the situation to past humanitarian tragedies that failed to attract timely global intervention.

Moore said the issue of Christian persecution remains a matter of deep personal concern and called for greater international engagement to address insecurity and protect vulnerable communities across Nigeria.

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PHOTOS: Two children k!lled, others injured as building collapses in Nasarawa

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Tragedy struck Tudun Amba area of Lafia in Nasarawa State as a building collapsed, k!lling two children from the same family.

The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Friday, August 28, 2026, also left other members of the family injured and hospitalized.

Details surrounding the cause of the collapse were not immediately available as authorities are expected to commence an assessment of the incident.

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PHOTOS: Two d!e as refuse dump collapses on building in Cross River

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Two persons have been confirmed d3ad following the collapse of a refuse dump at Ikot Effanga, along Old Odukpani Road in Calabar, Cross River State.

The spokesperson for the Cross River State Police Command, ASP Sunday Eitokpah, who disclosed this in a statement said the incident occurred in the early hours of Friday, August 28, 2026, when the collapsed refuse impacted a building reportedly constructed within a valley.

“The Cross River State Police Command is aware of a reported incident involving the collapse of a refuse dump at Ikot Effanga, along the Old Odukpani Road, Calabar, in the early hours of Friday, 28th August 2026, the statement read.

“Police personnel responded promptly to the scene, where it was discovered that the collapsed refuse had impacted a building reportedly constructed within a valley, resulting in the death of two occupants.”

The statement identified the victims as Nfon Imé, male, and an unidentified female, who were said to have been in the building at the time of the incident.

The bodies were recovered and deposited at the mortuary.

“The deceased, identified as Nfon Imé ‘m’, and a yet-to-be-identified female, believed to have been in the building at the time of the incident, have been recovered and deposited at the mortuary,” the statement said.

The police spokesperson said an assessment of the circumstances surrounding the incident was ongoing, while further investigation had commenced.

“The Command is currently conducting an assessment of the circumstances surrounding the incident, while further investigation is ongoing,” ASP Eitokpah said.

The command urged members of the public to remain calm and avoid speculation as efforts continued to establish the full facts surrounding the incident.

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“Further details will be communicated as soon as they are verified and available,” the statement added.

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Togo, Niger, Benin owe Nigeria $11m for electricity supplied in 2025 – NERC

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Togo, Benin and Niger owed Nigeria $11.16 million for electricity supplied by Nigerian power generation companies under bilateral arrangements in 2025, according to the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

NERC disclosed this in its 2025 annual report, saying the Market Operator (MO) issued invoices totalling $73.91 million to the three international electricity customers during the year. However, only $62.75 million was paid, leaving an outstanding balance of $11.16 million and representing an 84.90 percent remittance performance.

The international customers identified by NERC are Société Nigérienne d’Électricité (NIGELEC) of Niger, Société Béninoise d’Énergie Électrique (SBEE) of Benin and Compagnie Énergie Électrique du Togo (CEET). “The international bilateral customers … received a total invoice of $73.91 million for ancillary services provided by the MO and made a total payment of $62.75 million, corresponding to a remittance performance of 84.90%,” NERC said.

The commission also reported that domestic bilateral customers paid N12.75 trillion out of N13.20 trillion invoiced by the Market Operator for services provided in 2025. According to NERC, the payments represented a 96.60 percent remittance performance. However, Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and its host community, classified as a special customer, made no payments against invoices issued during the period.

NERC said the company had an outstanding N4.96 billion invoice from Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET) and another N500 million invoice from the Market Operator. “The Commission has escalated the issue of continual non-payment of electricity bills by Ajaokuta to the relevant federal ministries to find a lasting solution,” the report said.

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NERC warned that continued failure to settle the obligations could put the Ajaokuta complex at risk of disconnection from its electricity service providers. “Failure to settle the obligations may put the Ajaokuta complex at risk of being disconnected from its service providers (NBET and MO) on the grounds of gross indebtedness,” it added.

NERC also said electricity distribution companies (DisCos) collectively took off 31,251.77 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity in 2025, while 25,867.86GWh was billed to customers. This resulted in a market energy accounting efficiency (EAE) of 82.77 percent.

The commission explained that EAE measures how effectively DisCos account for electricity received at their trading points. It is calculated by comparing the energy billed to customers, including metered and unmetered consumers, with the total electricity supplied to an area over a given period.

Ibadan DisCo recorded the highest energy accounting efficiency at 88.84 percent, while Enugu DisCo recorded the lowest at 72.18 percent. “The disaggregated performance of the DisCos shows that Ibadan DisCo recorded the highest energy accounting efficiency of 88.84%, while Enugu DisCo recorded the lowest efficiency of 72.18%,” NERC said.

The commission said DisCos were responsible for developing strategies to improve their energy accounting performance. “DisCos have the responsibility of developing strategies to improve their energy accounting efficiencies,” NERC said.

It identified improved distribution infrastructure, reduced technical losses, better customer enumeration and customer service, increased metering and the deployment of technology to combat electricity theft as measures that could help improve the sector’s performance.

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