Congressman Riley Moore of West Virginia traveled to Benue State in central Nigeria this week to meet with Christian leaders and traditional rulers who say their communities are under sustained attack by armed Fulani herdsmen.
In a series of meetings on Thursday, Rep. Moore sat down with Catholic Bishop Wilfred Anagbe of Makurdi Diocese, Bishop Isaac Dugu, and the Tiv traditional ruler James Ioruza Ayatse.
The delegation heard firsthand accounts of village raids, church burnings, and mass displacements that local leaders describe as targeted persecution of Christians.
“These are not random clashes.
This is a systematic campaign against Christian farming communities,” Bishop Anagbe told the congressman, according to statements released by Moore’s office.
The visit comes as violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt has escalated sharply.
A July 2025 attack in Gwer West Local Government Area left more than 100 people dead, while repeated raids since June have displaced thousands, according to local authorities and international monitoring groups.
Moore, a member of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, pledged to raise the issue with the State Department and push for stronger U.S. action.
“The United States cannot remain silent while innocent Christians are being slaughtered and driven from their ancestral lands,” he wrote on X following the meetings.
Nigeria’s federal government maintains that the violence stems primarily from resource disputes between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers, exacerbated by climate change and population growth.
Critics, including many in Benue, argue the attacks follow a religious and ethnic pattern, with predominantly Muslim Fulani militias targeting predominantly Christian communities.
READ ALSO: US Congressional Delegation Meets Nigeria’s NSA Amid Rising Concerns Over Christian Persecution
The congressional trip follows earlier high-level U.S. engagement on Nigerian security issues, including meetings between Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and U.S. officials on counterterrorism cooperation.
Moore’s office said the delegation will issue a full report to Congress upon returning to Washington next week.
Follow the Parallel Facts channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaCQSAoHgZWiDjR3Kn2E
