The graves of 17 Christian worshippers and two priests at a funeral service in the Gwer East district of Benue State, Nigeria on May 22, 2018. (Emmy Ibu – AFP / Getty Images)
By Michael Austin May 23, 2026 at 4:30am
A new report from International Christian Concern asserted that the Nigerian government formed a $10 million lobbying effort in the United States to downplay anti-Christian persecution in the African nation.
Trump administration officials have increasingly voiced concern over Islamic violence toward Christian villagers in the northern and central portions of the country — even launching airstrikes against Islamic militants at the end of last year.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is a Muslim, has defended his government’s efforts to address the persecution to Western leaders.
But the report from International Christian Concern fellow Justin Joseph said the Tinubu government “has created a $10 million lobbying front to disenfranchise the human rights accountability of the United States.”
The lobbying effort seeks to “whitewash the current ethno-religious genocide of the Nigerian Christians.”
Joseph wrote that Matt Mowers — a former senior White House adviser who worked with the U.S. State Department — is a “a lead operator of the influence campaign on behalf of Nigeria.”
When I visited Nigeria, the government responded swiftly to quell a coup in Benin.
Nigeria’s willingness to step in to stop a violent attack in another country, while they stand by as their own Christian citizens are brutalized makes these absolutely horrific scenes unfolding in… https://t.co/I7Bg6ceN9Z
— Rep. Riley M. Moore (@RepRileyMoore) May 7, 2026
Valcour LLC, Mowers’ firm, was registered as a foreign agent at the end of 2025 — two months after the Trump administration designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern.”
“This registration is an estimated attempt to reverse Republican votes on religious freedom matters with the help of his Trump-era qualifications,” Mowers contended.
“Ironically, an official who had based his political career on conservative principles is now defending a regime that is responsible for the massacre of Christians.”
Joseph also wrote that “the financial pipeline that sustains these lobbying operations is no longer based on open business dealings but rather on Nigeria’s paramilitary and security infrastructure.”
Public records reveal that Mowers is remunerated by Maton Engineering Nigeria Limited — which is owned by Matthew Tonlagha, the vice chairman of a firm operated by Oweizidei Ekpemupolo, an “ex-militant leader.”
Other entities, such as DCI Group AZ, have been paid $9 million to carry out messaging services that emphasize Nigeria’s efforts to address anti-Christian persecution.
The report from International Christian Concern highlighted the stakes of Nigerian officials failing to adequately defend Christians from Islamic violence.
There have been at least 19,500 churches destroyed since 2009, with 400 destroyed in the last 16 months alone.
Even worse, more than 190,000 Nigerians have been killed for their religion since 2009 — and at least 128,000 of them were Christians.
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Michael wrote for several entertainment news outlets before joining The Western Journal in 2020. He now serves as Managing Editor, which involves managing the editorial team and operations, guiding the publication’s editorial direction, and writing, editing, curating and assigning stories as needed.
Birthplace
Ames, Iowa
Nationality
American
Education
Iowa State University
Topics of Expertise
Cultural Politics, Pop Culture, Christian-Conservatism
