Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
A visiting United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has sounded a stark warning about the plight of Christian communities in Benue State, following a sensitive fact-finding trip to camps housing internally displaced persons (IDPs). On Wednesday, Moore described hearing harrowing accounts of massacres, forced displacement, and brutal assaults — experiences he said would stay with him indefinitely.
During his visit, the congressman met “dozens of Christians who were driven from their homes … and now live in IDP camps,” he shared on social media. One woman, according to Moore, was forced to witness the murder of her husband and five children — she and an unborn child barely escaped. Another survivor recalled seeing her entire family wiped out, and having her baby violently torn from her womb. A man described how his family was hacked to death before his eyes, leaving him with a permanently mangled arm.
Moore said the scale of the destruction is staggering: more than 600,000 Christians are now reportedly living in displacement camps across Benue State alone.
The U.S. delegation he led engaged with local religious and traditional leaders — including bishops and the traditional ruler of the Tiv people — as part of a broader effort to assess and document the violence. According to Moore, the meetings underscored the urgent need for international attention and action.
Congressman Moore’s visit amplifies growing international concern over long-standing conflicts in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where clashes between farming communities, armed militias, and ethnic/religious tensions have fueled waves of violence and displacement. The testimonies he shared mark some of the most graphic and personal to reach global audiences — underscoring both human suffering and the urgency of intervention.
As calls mount for accountability and protection of vulnerable communities, many are watching to see whether Moore’s entreaties translate into diplomatic pressure, humanitarian support or increased international oversight of violence in Nigeria — especially violence with potential religious or sectarian dimensions.
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