A member of the United States Congress, Riley Moore, has sharply criticized Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, for his assertion that only 177 Christians were killed in the past five years.

Tuggar made the claim during an appearance on Piers Morgan’s show, where he sought to challenge allegations of a Christian genocide in Nigeria, clarify figures, and provide context on the nation’s complex security situation. On the program, Morgan referenced data from the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), which alleges that over 50,000 Christians have been killed since 2009 and 18,000 churches destroyed.

Tuggar, however, dismissed these figures as inaccurate, emphasizing that the Nigerian government does not record fatalities based on religious affiliation and treats all victims as Nigerians first.

Reacting at a congressional hearing in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Rep. Moore expressed incredulity at the stark contrast in figures. He also questioned the Nigerian delegation’s attempts to dispute widely reported statistics.

“I recently saw the foreign minister in an interview — I think it was with Piers Morgan — saying that in the last five years only 177 Christians have been killed,” Moore stated. “I don’t think anybody believes that, and I don’t think it’s constructive to downplay what’s happening.”

The remarks highlight ongoing international scrutiny over Nigeria’s handling of religious and communal violence, as well as growing concerns about transparency in reporting casualties.