U.S. Republican Congressman Riley Moore has alleged that a series of violent attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt amounts to a “genocidal campaign,” following a recent Congressional visit to Benue State. Moore said he plans to brief former U.S. President Donald Trump after leading a five-member delegation of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee to several Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
Speaking during an appearance on Fox News’ The Faulkner Focus, Moore disclosed that the delegation moved in armoured vehicles due to the security risks in the region. He said the team met with Catholic Bishops Wilfred Anagbe and Stephen Dugu, the Tor Tiv, and scores of displaced residents — all of whom, he noted, were Christians.
Moore alleged that armed Fulani militants, whom he described as “Islamic radicals,” were carrying out coordinated attacks on communities and IDP camps. He recounted testimonies from victims, including a woman who reportedly witnessed the killing of five of her children before escaping while pregnant, and another whose unborn child was allegedly cut from her womb during an attack that also claimed her husband and daughters.
The Congressman challenged analyses that frame the longstanding crisis in the region as a product of land disputes, climate pressures, or resource competition — explanations often cited by Nigerian officials and conflict researchers.
“If this is climate change, why burn a church? Why attack an IDP camp shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’?” Moore asked, insisting that attackers aimed to erase Christian communities from their ancestral homes in Benue and other parts of Nigeria.
Moore said Trump had instructed him and House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole to prepare a detailed report on the situation, including recommendations on how the U.S. should engage Nigerian authorities. The findings are expected before the end of the month.
He also disputed official claims that IDP camps are secure. “These camps aren’t protected. People are terrified,” Moore said.
Violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt has remained a subject of domestic and international contention for years, with thousands killed in clashes involving farming communities and armed herders. Rights groups accuse authorities of failing to adequately protect civilians or prosecute offenders, while some critics argue that foreign officials often reduce the complex conflict to a solely religious confrontation.
Moore, describing the mission as a search for “ground truth,” said the delegation met with church leaders, Christian associations, and affected communities, adding that many victims linked the attacks to their religious identity.