United States Congressman Riley Moore has urged the international community to pay closer attention to the humanitarian crisis in Benue State after visiting camps for internally displaced persons.
Writing on X, Moore said he spoke with “dozens of Christians who had been driven from their homes and exposed to severe violence,” noting that many of them now live in IDP camps across the state.
According to him, several displaced residents recounted traumatic experiences of attacks that destroyed their communities and forced families to flee for safety.
Moore shared accounts of individuals who lost loved ones during the attacks, including women who said they escaped while pregnant and a man who sustained permanent injuries while trying to survive the violence.
The congressman stated that “over 600,000 Christians” are currently living in displacement camps in Benue, a state long affected by clashes between farming communities and armed groups.
“These communities deserve to live in their ancestral homes without fear,” he wrote, calling for stronger global engagement with the crisis.
During his visit, Moore also met Tiv and Catholic leaders, including Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, Bishop Isaac Dugu, and His Royal Highness James Ioruza, with whom he discussed the ongoing insecurity in the region.
He described his trip to Nigeria as “very productive,” noting that he also held meetings in Abuja with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and other senior officials. Discussions focused on terrorism in the North-East, communal violence in the Middle Belt, and security priorities of the US administration.
Moore referenced the recent rescue of more than 100 abducted Catholic schoolchildren, commending President Bola Tinubu’s government for the effort. He also highlighted what he called a “newly established joint task force between Nigeria and the US” as a positive development.
However, he stressed that “ongoing openness must now translate into concrete action,” adding that significant work remains.
NSA Ribadu confirmed hosting the delegation as part of continuing security cooperation efforts, following similar engagements in Washington, DC. According to him, discussions centred on counter-terrorism, regional stability, and strengthening Nigeria–US strategic ties.
The visit comes amid increased diplomatic tension following the Trump administration’s redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged religious freedom violations — a move accompanied by warnings of possible US military measures.
The Federal Government has consistently rejected claims of targeted persecution, insisting that insecurity affects Nigerians of all religious backgrounds.
On November 20, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosted Ribadu at the Pentagon for further security talks. The same day, the US House Subcommittee on Africa held a hearing on the implications of the redesignation.
Last Tuesday, House Republicans again raised concerns about religious violence in Nigeria during a briefing ordered by President Trump, who tasked Moore and the House Appropriations Committee with investigating reports of attacks on Christian communities and reporting back to the White House.
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