Stories from survivors will haunt me for life – US Congressman Moore says after visit to Benue IDPs

United States Congressman Riley Moore has raised fresh concerns about the scale of violence faced by Christian communities in Benue State, recounting harrowing testimonies he received during a visit to multiple internally displaced persons camps.

Writing on X on Wednesday, Moore said he met “dozens of Christians” who had fled their ancestral homes after witnessing unspeakable brutality that left entire families wiped out and hundreds of thousands displaced across the Middle Belt.

According to the lawmaker, several survivors narrated experiences so horrific that, in his words, “will remain with me for the rest of my life.”

He cited the case of a woman who said she was forced to watch the killing of her husband and five children before escaping with her unborn baby.

Another woman reportedly told the delegation that her family “was murdered in front of her and her baby was ripped from her womb.”

A male survivor also told Moore his family was hacked to death before his eyes, leaving him with a permanently damaged arm.

The congressman said more than 600,000 Christians are currently living in IDP camps in Benue, a state long scarred by prolonged clashes between farming communities and armed groups.

Moore explained that his delegation met with prominent Tiv and Catholic leaders, including Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, Bishop Isaac Dugu and Tiv traditional ruler, His Royal Highness James Ioruza, who detailed what they described as an ongoing genocidal campaign against their people.

He added that the US will not ignore the experiences shared during the visit and insisted that those affected deserve international attention and justice.

The congressman also held high-level security discussions in Abuja with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and other senior officials.

He said the deliberations focused on terrorism in the North-East, killings in the Middle Belt and what he described as priority issues for President Donald Trump and the US administration.

According to him, the talks examined potential steps that could strengthen bilateral security cooperation. The NSA’s office confirmed the engagement, stating that the visit built on earlier meetings in Washington and was aimed at enhancing counter-terrorism collaboration and regional stability.

Moore commended Nigeria for the recent rescue of more than 100 abducted Catholic schoolchildren, stressing that progress must now translate into tangible action.

His visit, however, comes at a tense diplomatic moment following the Trump administration’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged religious freedom violations, a move that has generated strong reactions in Abuja.

Washington has kept up the pressure, with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth hosting Ribadu at the Pentagon on November 20 for further consultations, and the US House Subcommittee on Africa holding a public hearing the same day to interrogate the implications of the designation.

House Republicans last week also raised new questions about religious violence in Nigeria during a joint briefing ordered by President Trump, who had earlier directed Moore and the House Appropriations Committee to investigate what he termed “the slaughter of Christians.”

The Federal Government has consistently dismissed claims of systemic persecution of Christians, arguing that insecurity affects Nigerians of all faiths and is driven largely by criminality and communal clashes rather than religious targeting.

But Moore maintained that the accounts he heard in Benue demand urgent global attention, stressing that while cooperation between both countries is improving, “there is much work still to be done.”

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