US Congressman set to brief Trump on alleged genocide in Nigeria

A United States congressional delegation led by Riley Moore, Congressman, has concluded fact-finding mission to Nigeria amid escalating allegations of genocide against Christian communities, particularly in Benue State.

The five-member team is expected to brief Donald Trump, U.S. President before the end of the month, in line with a directive issued prior to their departure.

The delegation arrived in Nigeria on Sunday and visited Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, victims of terrorist attacks, Christian communities, religious leaders, and traditional rulers.

Read also: Nigeria’s fight against terrorism needs more effort, concrete action – US Congressman

Their engagements focused on Benue State, which Moore described as one of the most dangerous regions in the country due to recurring attacks on rural communities.

The lawmakers also held closed-door meetings with Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, and Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney General of the Federation, as part of efforts to gather official perspectives on the violence.

Speaking on Fox News on Thursday during an interview with anchor Harris Faulkner, Moore said the team encountered some of the most harrowing testimonies of his career.

He claimed survivors repeatedly identified Fulani and Islamic extremist groups as perpetrators of the killings.

“It was really shocking, the stories we heard, the imagery. I have never witnessed anything like that in my life.

“I met one woman who lost her entire family. Five of her children were murdered right in front of her while she was pregnant. She escaped and delivered her baby in an IDP camp. You can see that her soul has literally left her body. There are countless stories like these”, he said.

Moore also recounted the story of another woman who lost her husband, two daughters, and her unborn child in an attack, saying the pattern of violence strongly suggested a deliberate campaign against Christian communities.

He added that the delegation travelled across Benue State in armoured vehicles due to the security threats, meeting Catholic and Protestant leaders, bishops, and community heads to obtain what he termed “ground truth” about the crisis.

“This is a fact-finding mission. Benue is one of the most dangerous states in Nigeria. This is where the majority of Christians are being murdered for their faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But I felt we had to go,” he said.

Moore dismissed narratives linking the violence to climate pressures, land disputes, or economic tensions, arguing that the accounts and evidence presented during the visit contradict such claims.

“For those who say this is about climate change or economics, why would you burn down a church? Why would you attack an IDP camp screaming ‘Allahu Akbar’? It is very clear what the answer is.

“They are trying to erase Christians in Benue State and across Nigeria from their ancestral homeland”, he said.

The congressman confirmed that Trump instructed him and Tom Cole to House Appropriations Committee Chairman compile a comprehensive report on the crisis.

“We will report back to the President and make recommendations. He has asked myself and Chairman Tom Cole to give him a report, and we are going to do that by the end of this month,” he said.

In late October, Trump designated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over allegations of Christian genocide, a position the Nigerian Government has firmly rejected.

Abuja maintains that the nation’s security challenges stem from criminality, banditry, and terrorism without religious motivations.

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