US veterans of Igbo descent asks Riley Moore to back ‘sovereign safe zone’ proposal for Nigerian Christians

by Claire Mom

 

American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), a non-profit military organisation composed of individuals of Igbo heritage who served or are currently serving in the US armed forces, have asked Riley Moore, a member of the US house of representatives, to push for the creation of a “sovereign safe zone” for Judeo-Christians in Nigeria.

The veterans made the request in a letter to Moore following a joint report from the house appropriations and foreign affairs committees on the alleged persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

In the letter penned on Wednesday by Sylvester Onyia, AVID president, and Godson Obiagwu, secretary, the veterans applauded the report for bringing “essential clarity to the scale and severity of the violence”.

“Your commitment to protecting our brothers and sisters in Christ reflects the highest ideals of American values and moral leadership on the global stage,” the veterans told Moore.

The (retired) military personnel asked the lawmaker to “advocate for the U.S. government to support the creation of a sovereign safe zone for Judeo-Christians and push for the restructuring of Nigeria”.

“This would allow persecuted Christians to thrive without fear of Islamic and Fulani terror, providing a secure space for them to practice their faith and contribute to regional stability,” the letter reads.

Moore has been at the forefront of spearheading efforts by US lawmakers to issue sanctions against perpetrators of an alleged Christian persecution in Nigeria through sponsored bills, reports, and meetings with Nigerian and American officials.

But the lawmaker has stressed that efforts to embolden separatists pushing for secession from Nigeria would only hurt Christians.