•US Congressman Riley Moore meets one-on-one with Benue victims
The United States House Appropriations Committee has reaffirmed America’s commitment to addressing religious persecution globally, with a focus on Nigeria, in a statement posted on its official X account yesterday.
“America will not look away as innocent lives are stolen. Directed by @POTUS, Appropriators led an on-the-ground mission to inform a report on Christian persecution in Nigeria and guide policy recommendations. Religious freedom and atrocity response are central to our NSRP bill,” the committee said.
The statement followed a visit to Nigeria by a delegation of US lawmakers, led by Congressman Riley Moore, under the direction of President Donald Trump, reports The PUNCH.
The delegation’s mission, confirmed by Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, aimed to strengthen counter-terrorism cooperation, enhance regional stability, and reinforce the strategic security partnership between Nigeria and the United States.
During his visit, Moore met with Tiv and Catholic leaders in Benue State and visited camps for internally displaced persons.
On X, he described the conditions he witnessed as harrowing.
“I met dozens of Christians who were driven from their homes and subjected to horrific violence and now live in IDP camps,” Moore wrote.
He recounted the testimonies of victims of attacks in Benue, saying, “They told harrowing stories that will remain with me for the rest of my life.
“One woman was forced to watch as they killed her husband and five children.
“She and her unborn child barely escaped. Another woman told me her family was murdered in front of her and her baby was ripped from her womb.
“A man said his family was hacked to death in front of his eyes and his arm was permanently mangled.”
Moore estimated that more than 600,000 Christians are currently living in IDP camps in Benue State, a region long affected by violent clashes between farming communities and armed groups.
“These Christians should be able to live in their ancestral homeland without fear of genocidal Fulani,” he wrote, calling for greater international attention to the crisis.
Moore also met with traditional and religious leaders, including Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, Bishop Isaac Dugu, and James Ioruza, traditional ruler of the Tiv people.
He described these meetings as “an honour and deeply moving,” during which he discussed “the ongoing genocidal campaign by the Fulani in Benue State.”
The congressman said discussions with Nigerian authorities, including Ribadu, focused on terrorism in the North-East and killings in the Middle Belt, issues he said were priorities for both President Trump and himself.
He commended Nigeria for rescuing over 100 abducted Catholic schoolchildren and highlighted what he called a “now established joint task force between Nigeria and the US” as a positive development.
“Now, that openness has to translate to concrete action,” Moore said, adding that “there is much work still to be done.”
The US delegation’s visit comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions following the Trump administration’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged religious freedom violations, a move accompanied by warnings of potential US military intervention.
The federal government has repeatedly rejected claims of systemic persecution of Christians, insisting that insecurity affects citizens of all faiths.
Prior engagements included Ribadu’s November 20 visit to the Pentagon, where Secretary of War Pete Hegseth discussed coordinated strategies to address Nigeria’s security crisis.
On the same day, the US House Subcommittee on Africa held a public hearing on the implications of the redesignation.
Last week, House Republicans raised fresh concerns about religious violence in Nigeria during a joint briefing ordered by President Trump.
