A United States congressional delegation led by Congressman Riley Moore has completed a fact-finding visit to Nigeria over allegations of widespread killings and is preparing a high-level briefing for former US President Donald Trump before the end of the month.
The five-member delegation arrived in Nigeria on Sunday and spent several days in Benue State, meeting internally displaced persons (IDPs), survivors of attacks, Christian leaders, traditional rulers, and communities affected by violence. They also held meetings in Abuja with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
Speaking on a Fox News programme hosted by Harris Faulkner on Thursday, Moore described the visit as the most troubling experience of his public career, recounting deeply disturbing accounts from victims.
“It was really shocking, the stories we heard, the imagery. I have never witnessed anything like that in my life,” he said. “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.”
Moore also recalled speaking with another woman who lost her husband, two daughters, and unborn child in an attack, noting that the pattern of violence suggested Christian communities were being targeted.
Due to security threats, the delegation moved around Benue State in armoured vehicles, meeting Catholic and Protestant leaders, bishops, and community heads to gather what Moore described as “ground truth.”
“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.
He questioned claims that the violence was driven by land disputes or climate issues, highlighting attacks on churches and IDP camps.
“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,” Moore said.
Moore confirmed that Trump had directed him and House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole to prepare a full report on their findings.
“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.
Trump had in late October listed Nigeria as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ over alleged Christian genocide, a claim the Federal Government rejected, insisting that the security crisis has no religious undertone.
