United States lawmaker Riley Moore on Wednesday narrated disturbing accounts of violence allegedly suffered by Christian residents in Benue State, based on testimonies he received during a visit to camps housing internally displaced persons (IDPs).
In a post on X, the congressman disclosed that he met “dozens of Christians who were driven from their homes and subjected to horrific violence and now live in IDP camps” while on the ground in Benue. Moore said victims recounted deadly assaults that wiped out entire families and forced many survivors to abandon their ancestral villages.
“They told harrowing stories that will remain with me for the rest of my life,” Moore wrote. He stated that the ordeal of one woman who, according to him, “was forced to watch as they killed her husband and five children. She and her unborn child barely escaped.”
Another survivor, he said, revealed that her family “was murdered in front of her and her baby was ripped from her womb.” Moore further shared the account of a man who said, “his family was hacked to death in front of his eyes, and his arm was permanently mangled.”
The congressman claimed that “more than 600,000 Christians” are currently taking refuge in IDP camps across Benue State, which has witnessed prolonged clashes between farming communities and armed groups.
“These Christians should be able to live in their ancestral homeland without fear of genocidal Fulani,” Moore wrote, urging the global community to pay closer attention to the situation.
Earlier, Moore had announced that he held meetings with Tiv traditional leaders and Catholic clerics during his visit.
“It was an honour and deeply moving to meet with His Excellency Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, Bishop Isaac Dugu, and His Royal Highness James Ioruza, traditional ruler of the Tiv people, to discuss the ongoing genocidal campaign by the Fulani in Benue State,” he stated.
He assured that the United States would not turn a blind eye to the stories shared by the affected communities.
Moore also described his trip as a “very productive visit to Nigeria,” revealing that on Monday he met with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, alongside other top government officials.
According to him, discussions centered on terrorism in the North-East and the persistent killings in the Middle Belt matters he described as priorities for both President Donald Trump and himself.
He added that both parties reviewed measures he believes could significantly improve national security if fully applied.
The congressman also referred to the recent rescue of over 100 abducted Catholic schoolchildren, praising the Federal Government and President Bola Tinubu for the successful operation.
Moore said US concerns were “positively received” and revealed the existence of what he called a “now established joint task force between Nigeria and the US” as evidence of growing cooperation.
Nonetheless, he cautioned that “now, that openness has to translate to concrete action,” stressing that “there is much work still to be done.” The National Security Adviser later confirmed the visit, describing it as part of ongoing security engagements between both nations.
Ribadu explained that the delegation’s visit followed earlier talks in Washington, DC, and focused on “counter-terrorism cooperation, regional stability,” and efforts to “strengthen the strategic security partnership between Nigeria and the United States.”
The visit coincided with renewed diplomatic strain after the Trump administration redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged violations of religious freedom, alongside warnings of potential US military intervention.
The Federal Government has repeatedly dismissed accusations of systematic persecution of Christians, maintaining that insecurity affects Nigerians regardless of religion. On November 20, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosted Ribadu at the Pentagon to discuss joint approaches to tackling Nigeria’s security challenges. On the same day, the US House Subcommittee on Africa conducted a public hearing on the implications of Nigeria’s redesignation.
Last Tuesday, House Republicans again raised alarm over religious violence in Nigeria during a joint briefing mandated by President Trump, who on October 31 directed Moore and the House Appropriations Committee to probe what he described as the killing of Christians and submit findings to the White House.
