A US congressman visits Benue to draw international focus to the IDP crisis
US Congressman Riley Moore traveled to Benue and shared accounts of violence against Christian communities, recounting what he heard in camps for internally displaced people. On X, Moore wrote that during his time in Benue he met “dozens of Christians who were driven from their homes and subjected to horrific violence and now live in IDP camps.” He said survivors described massacres that left whole families dead and forced others to flee their villages. “They told harrowing stories that will stay with me for the rest of my life,” he added.
One account involved a woman who was forced to watch her husband and five children be killed; she and her unborn child barely escaped. Another woman told him her family was murdered in her presence, and her baby was torn from her womb. A man described his family being hacked to death before his eyes, with his arm permanently mangled. Moore cited that more than 600,000 Christians are currently living in IDP camps in Benue State, a region long troubled by clashes between farming communities and armed groups. He argued that these Christians should be able to return to their ancestral homeland without fear of genocidal violence by Fulani militants and urged greater international attention to the crisis.
During the visit, Moore said he met Tiv and Catholic leaders, including His Excellency Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, Bishop Isaac Dugu, and His Royal Highness James Ioruza, the Tiv traditional ruler, to discuss what he described as a genocidal campaign by Fulani militants in Benue State. He stressed that the United States would not ignore the experiences shared by local communities.
Moore characterized the trip as a “very productive visit to Nigeria,” noting that he spoke with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and other senior officials. The discussions reportedly focused on terrorism in the North-East and killings in the Middle Belt, issues he said are priorities for President Donald Trump and himself. He claimed both sides explored steps that could bolster security if fully implemented and praised the rescue of more than 100 abducted Catholic schoolchildren, commending the Nigerian government and President Bola Tinubu for the operation. He asserted that US concerns were “positively received” and pointed to a recently established joint security task force between Nigeria and the US as a sign of progress, while cautioning that the openness must translate into concrete action, noting that “there is much work still to be done.”
The National Security Adviser confirmed hosting the US delegation as part of ongoing security consultations. Ribadu stated that the visit followed earlier discussions in Washington, DC, and focused on counter-terrorism cooperation, regional stability, and efforts to strengthen the strategic security partnership between Nigeria and the United States.
The visit occurred amid heightened diplomatic tension after the Trump administration redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for alleged religious freedom violations, a move accompanied by warnings of possible US military intervention. The Nigerian Federal Government has repeatedly rejected claims of systemic persecution of Christians, arguing that insecurity affects people 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. That same day, the US House Subcommittee on Africa held a public hearing to review the implications of the redesignation. Recently, 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.
