Riley M. Moore, a US lawmaker, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration of spending millions lobbying the US Congress while allegedly neglecting to confront violence and instability in Nigeria.
Moore made the comments in a string of postings on his verified X (previously Twitter) site, according to Naija News.
The lawmaker said that a State Department financing package intended to address insecurity and human rights issues in Nigeria had been approved by the US House Appropriations Committee.
Moore observed, “The Tinubu Administration is spending millions lobbying Congress while failing to adequately address the genocide Nigerian Christians face on a daily basis.”
He continued by saying that the law places stringent requirements on US aid to Nigeria, with a focus on human rights protection and accountability.
Moore claims that religious freedom, the prosecution of armed groups, and the prevention of atrocities are given top priority in the proposed legislation.
Additionally, he stated, “the law mandates that any US assistance prioritize: preventing atrocities, promoting religious freedom, prosecuting criminal gangs, Fulani ethnic militia groups, and other jihadist terrorist groups.”
He went on to say that the measure also emphasizes building faith-based organizations in impacted communities, humanitarian assistance, and accountability for security agencies.
Moore claimed that in order to impose limitations on security aid to Nigeria, he collaborated with fellow lawmaker Mario Diaz-Balart.
“I worked with @MarioDB on this bill to limit security assistance to Nigeria unless specific requirements are met, such as effectively responding to violence and holding perpetrators accountable,” he stated.
He pointed out that the law requires US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to evaluate Nigeria’s adherence to the specified requirements.
The member added that the bill imposes more stringent scrutiny by US authorities on Nigeria.
“Every dollar appropriated to Nigeria must have a plan submitted by the Secretary, and every dollar spent will have direct Congressional oversight,” he stated.
In order to combat instability in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, especially in the Plateau and Benue states, he said, funding was also included.
Moore insisted that expectations related to prior US security aid had not been fulfilled by the Nigerian government.
He stated, “I believe the Tinubu Administration has not met the requirements the appropriations committee set for security assistance.”
