The United States Congressman Riley Moore (R-WV) has sharply criticized the administration of Nigerian President Bola Tinubu for allegedly failing to comply with conditions attached to American security aid, calling for a thorough review of funding allocations for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Rep. Moore, who represents West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, expressed concern that the Tinubu administration has not lived up to requirements set by the US House Appropriations Committee regarding security assistance to Nigeria.
“In my view, the Tinubu administration has failed to live up to the conditions the appropriations committee placed on security assistance. I urge @SecRubio to take this into account in administering both FY26 and FY27 funding,” Moore stated.
The lawmaker highlighted provisions in the recent State Department funding bill that restrict US security assistance to Nigeria unless specific criteria are met. These include effectively responding to violence (particularly against Christians), holding perpetrators accountable, prioritizing resources for internally displaced persons (IDPs), and supporting the return of displaced communities to their ancestral homelands.
The bill also emphasizes advancing religious freedom, atrocities prevention, and the prosecution of groups such as Fulani ethnic militias, criminal gangs, and jihadist terrorists.
Moore’s comments come amid ongoing discussions in the US Congress about religious persecution and insecurity in Nigeria. He has previously participated in fact-finding efforts related to violence against Christian communities and has raised concerns about Nigeria’s reported lobbying expenditures in Washington while security challenges persist.
This development reflects broader US legislative efforts to tie foreign assistance more closely to measurable improvements in governance, human rights, and security outcomes in recipient nations.
The Nigerian government has not yet issued a formal response to Rep. Moore’s latest remarks. The US State Department, under Secretary Marco Rubio, is expected to consider compliance assessments when implementing future aid decisions.