Riley Moore, a United States Congressman and a key ally of U.S President Donald Trump, has spotlighted what he described as evidence of Christian genocide in Nigeria following a visit to Benue State Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
Moore, who arrived in Nigeria on Sunday, December 7, 2025, with other members of the U.S congressional delegation, visited Benue IDP camps to listen to testimonies from thousands of displaced people, many of them survivors of targeted attacks.
Taking to his official X handle on Wednesday, Moore said, while in Benue IDP camps, 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.
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.”
Moore said: “While in Benue, I met with dozens of Christians who were driven from their homes and subjected to horrific violence and now live in IDP camps.
“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’s family was murdered in front of her, and her baby was ripped from her womb.
“One man’s family was hacked to death in front of his eyes, and his arm was permanently mangled.
“There are more than 600,000 Christians in IDP camps in Benue State alone.
“These Christians should be able to live in their ancestral homeland without fear of genocidal Fulani.
“He added that the U.S would not ignore the experiences shared by local communities.”
This comes a few days after Moore, a vocal advocate for religious freedom, said the Nigerian government has been cooperative with the U.S over solving the issue.
He said: “I want to thank the Nigerian government and @officialABAT for rescuing the 100 innocent and precious Catholic school children. This is a positive demonstration of the government’s increasing response to the security situation and shows commitment to the emergency declaration laid out by President Tinubu.
“The US’s sense of urgency on our concerns was positively received. I feel that a cooperative security framework is within sight. The now-established joint task force between Nigeria and the US is a great example.
“It is clear that there is an openness and willingness on the part of the Nigerian government to work with the United States to tackle these critical issues. Now, that openness has to translate to concrete action.”
Pan-Atlantic Kompass amid heightened diplomatic tensions after the Trump administration redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over religious freedom violations, a move accompanied by warnings of possible U.S military intervention.
The Federal Government has repeatedly rejected claims of systemic persecution of Christians, insisting that insecurity affects citizens of all faiths.
Recall also, on November 20, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosted the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu at the Pentagon to discuss coordinated strategies to address the country’s security crisis. The same day, the U.S 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 the targeted attacks against Nigerian Christians and report back to the White House.
