The five-member delegation arrived in Nigeria on Sunday and visited Internally Displaced Persons, survivors of terrorist attacks, Christian communities, religious leaders, and traditional rulers, especially in Benue State
By Asaye Bankole
The United States congressional delegation led by Congressman Riley Moore has completed its fact-finding mission to Nigeria regarding allegations of genocide and is expected to brief President Donald Trump before the end of the month.
The five-member delegation arrived in Nigeria on Sunday and visited Internally Displaced Persons, survivors of terrorist attacks, Christian communities, religious leaders, and traditional rulers, especially in Benue State.
They also met 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 said the team heard shocking accounts of killings allegedly carried out by Fulani and Islamist extremists, describing the experience as the most unsettling of his career.
“It was truly shocking the stories we heard and the images we saw. I have never experienced anything like it,” he said. “I met a woman who lost her entire family.
Five of her children were killed right in front of her while she was pregnant. She managed to escape and later gave birth in an IDP camp. You can see that the trauma has drained the life out of her. And there are countless stories just like hers.”
He also described another case involving a woman who lost her husband, two daughters, and her unborn child during an attack, noting that the pattern of violence indicated that Christian communities were being deliberately targeted.
Moore said the delegation travelled throughout Benue State in armoured vehicles because of security concerns. He added that they met with Catholic and Protestant leaders, bishops, and community elders to gather what he described as “ground truth.”
“This is a fact-finding mission. Benue is one of the most dangerous states in Nigeria. This is where many Christians are being murdered because of their faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But I felt it was necessary for us to come,” he said.
He noted that even IDP camps had been attacked, which raises doubts about claims that the violence is driven by climate pressures or land disputes.
“For those who say this is about climate change or economics, why would anyone burn down a church? Why would attackers storm an IDP camp shouting ‘Allahu Akbar’? The answer is very clear,” he said. “There is an effort to wipe out Christians in Benue State and across Nigeria from their ancestral communities.”
Moore confirmed that President Trump instructed him and House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole to prepare a comprehensive report on the situation.
“We will report back to the President and make our recommendations. He asked me and Chairman Tom Cole to submit a report, and we will do that before the end of this month,” he added.
In late October, Trump designated Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ over alleged Christian genocide an assessment the Federal Government has rejected, insisting that Nigeria’s security challenges are not religious in nature.
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