U.S. Lawmaker Claims Coordinated Attacks on Christians in Benue State

U.S. LAWMAKER CLAIMS COORDINATED ATTACKS ON CHRISTIANS IN BENUE STATE, CALLS FOR INTERNATIONAL ACTION

Abuja/Benue, Nigeria — A senior U.S. lawmaker has asserted that Christian communities in Benue State are being subjected to a coordinated campaign of violence, characterising recent attacks on predominantly Christian villages and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps as part of a broader assault on religious groups in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region. The comments come amid growing international focus on the country’s complex security challenges and mounting allegations of targeted violence against civilians. 

During a televised interview on U.S. media and public statements on social platforms, Republican Congressman Riley Moore, a member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, said he witnessed firsthand the harrowing conditions faced by displaced Christians during a recent Congressional delegation to Benue State. Moore described what he characterised as a “genocidal campaign” carried out by Fulani militants, alleging that the violence was systematically targeting Christian populations, forcing mass displacement and terrorising families. 

According to the lawmaker, the delegation — which included several members of the U.S. House — visited multiple IDP camps where thousands of civilians have sought refuge from ongoing violence. In his account, Moore cited testimony from local bishops, traditional leaders and displaced persons who recounted brutal attacks on their communities, including killings, abductions, and assaults that he said were routinely inflicted on Christian residents. One woman’s account of watching her children killed and her subsequent escape from violence was cited by Moore as emblematic of the wider suffering he described. 

Moore’s remarks reflect a growing narrative among some international observers that a segment of the country’s protracted insecurity — attributed in Nigeria to clashes between herders and farming communities, banditry, and insurgent groups — also carries religious dimensions. His upcoming report to U.S. President Donald Trump, he said, will propose a “roadmap” for deeper cooperation between Washington and the Nigerian government to address these issues and help curb the violence. 

The lawmaker’s comments have reignited debate about the nature of violence in parts of Nigeria’s Middle Belt, particularly Benue State, where attacks attributed to armed herders and militant groups have repeatedly displaced thousands of civilians and left communities traumatised. Local sources have documented incidents in which houses are razed, villagers killed, and farmland destroyed — actions that have devastated livelihoods and contributed to persistent displacement. 

In addition to Moore’s assertions, clergy and ecclesiastical leaders have presented testimony before foreign bodies about what they describe as escalating crises. Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi has previously told U.S. congressional panels that entire villages have been decimated, priests kidnapped or killed, and churches destroyed in what he labelled a sustained assault on Christian identity in the region. 

However, these assertions have also prompted pushback from Nigerian officials and domestic legislators. The House of Representatives in Nigeria has publicly rejected claims of a targeted “Christian genocide,” insisting that such allegations distort the complex realities on the ground and that insecurity stems from a mix of banditry, communal conflicts, and criminality rather than systematic religious persecution. 

The Nigerian government has consistently maintained that insecurity in the Middle Belt and northern regions reflects multifaceted challenges, including competition over land and resources, climate pressures, and criminal opportunism, none of which it accepts as predominantly religious in motivation. Officials argue that foreign interpretations risk oversimplifying a complex, long‑standing crisis. 

Analysts note that while the violence often affects predominantly Christian farming communities in Benue and surrounding states, local security sources and human rights observers describe the conflict as rooted in overlapping socio‑economic and ethnic disputes exacerbated by the proliferation of arms, weak law enforcement, and poor infrastructure. Nonetheless, accounts of indiscriminate attacks on civilians have drawn international concern and calls for enhanced protection of vulnerable populations. 

Moore’s intervention comes amid broader discussions in U.S. political circles about Nigeria’s security situation, including the controversial designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom in late 2025, a move that drew both international attention and Nigerian government criticism. Proponents of the designation cited widespread killings and church attacks, while the Nigerian government rejected the designation, maintaining that it misrepresents the nature of insecurity in the country.

Local and international human rights organisations have called for comprehensive investigations into violence affecting civilians in the Middle Belt, urging transparent documentation of incidents and accountability for perpetrators irrespective of alleged motives. Many have stressed that meaningful solutions must address underlying drivers of conflict — including poverty, youth marginalisation, competition over resources, and weak governance — alongside immediate humanitarian support for displaced communities. 

As debate continues on the global stage, the situation in Benue State remains volatile, with sporadic attacks still reported and communities struggling to rebuild amidst ongoing insecurity. The contrasting narratives between international lawmakers and Nigerian authorities underscore the complexities involved in interpreting and responding to violence in a diverse and densely populated region. 

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