A United States congressional delegation led by Congressman Riley Moore has concluded a fact-finding mission to Nigeria over allegations of genocide.
The delegation of five lawmakers arrived on Sunday and visited Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, survivors of terrorist attacks, Christian communities, traditional rulers, and religious leaders particularly in Benue State.
They also met with 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 described the accounts they heard as the most distressing of his career. He said survivors narrated brutal attacks allegedly carried out by Fulani and Islamic extremists.
“It was shocking — the stories, the imagery. I have never seen anything like it,” Moore said. He recounted meeting a woman who watched five of her children murdered while she was pregnant. She later gave birth in an IDP camp. “You can see that her soul has left her body,” he added, noting that many victims shared similarly traumatic stories.
Moore also mentioned another woman who lost her husband, two daughters, and unborn child during an attack, saying the pattern of violence suggested that Christian communities were being intentionally targeted.
The delegation travelled through Benue State in armoured vehicles due to security threats. They met Catholic and Protestant leaders, bishops, and community heads in order to gather what Moore called “ground truth.”
He dismissed claims that the violence was driven by climate change or land conflicts. “If this is about climate or economics, why burn down a church? Why attack an IDP camp screaming ‘Allahu Akbar’? The motive is clear,” he said, alleging an attempt to wipe out Christians from their ancestral communities.
Moore confirmed that former President Donald Trump tasked him and House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole with preparing a detailed report on Nigeria. “We will report back to the President by the end of the month,” he said.
In late October, Trump designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern over alleged genocide against Christians—a position the Nigerian government rejects, insisting the security crisis is not religiously motivated.
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