US congressman visits Benue, seeks global attention to IDP crisis

US Congressman Riley Moore visits Benue

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United States Congressman, Riley Moore, on Wednesday shared accounts of violence against Christian communities in Benue State, recounting what he said he was told during a visit to camps for internally displaced persons.

Writing on X, Moore said, while in Benue, he met “dozens of Christians who were driven from their homes and subjected to horrific violence and now live in IDP camps.”

According to the congressman, those he spoke with described attacks that left entire families dead and forced survivors to flee their villages.

“They told harrowing stories that will remain with me for the rest of my life,” Moore wrote.

He cited the case of one woman who, he said, “was forced to watch as they killed her husband and five children. She and her unborn child barely escaped.”

Another woman, he added, told him her family “was murdered in front of her and her baby was ripped from her womb.”

Moore also described the testimony of a man who said “his family was hacked to death in front of his eyes and his arm was permanently mangled.”

The congressman stated that “more than 600,000 Christians” are currently living in IDP camps in Benue State, a region that has experienced years of conflict between farming communities and armed groups.

“These Christians should be able to live in their ancestral homeland without fear of genocidal Fulani,” Moore wrote, calling for greater international attention to the crisis.

Moore had earlier posted that he met Tiv and Catholic leaders during his visit to the state.

“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 wrote.

He added that the US would not ignore the experiences shared by local communities.

Moore described his trip as a “very productive visit to Nigeria,” noting on Monday that he held talks with National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and other senior officials.

He said the discussions focused on terrorism in the North-East and killings in the Middle Belt, issues he described as priorities for President Donald Trump and himself.

According to Moore, both sides examined steps he believes could strengthen security if implemented fully.

He also referenced the rescue of more than 100 abducted Catholic schoolchildren, commending the Nigerian government and President Bola Tinubu for the operation.

Moore said US concerns were “positively received” and pointed to what he called a “now established joint task force between Nigeria and the US” as a sign of progress.

However, he added that “now, that openness has to translate to concrete action,” stressing that “there is much work still to be done.”

The NSA confirmed hosting the US delegation as part of ongoing security consultations.

Ribadu said the visit followed earlier engagements in Washington, DC, and centred on “counter-terrorism cooperation, regional stability,” and efforts to “strengthen the strategic security partnership between Nigeria and the United States.”

The visit came during heightened diplomatic tensions after the Trump administration redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged religious freedom violations, a move accompanied by warnings of possible US military intervention.

The Federal Government have repeatedly rejected claims of systemic persecution of Christians, insisting that insecurity affects citizens of all faiths.

On November 20, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosted Ribadu at the Pentagon to discuss coordinated strategies to address the country’s security crisis. The same day, the US House Subcommittee on Africa held a public hearing to examine the implications of the redesignation.

Last Tuesday, House Republicans raised fresh concerns about religious violence in Nigeria during a joint briefing ordered by President Trump, who on October 31 directed Moore and the House Appropriations Committee to investigate what he described as the slaughter of Christians and report back to the White House.

The PUNCH journalist, Gift, has over three years of experience covering elections, security and foreign affairs.

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