United States Congressman, Riley Moore, has dismissed claims that climate change is responsible for the violence often described as farmers–herders clashes in Nigeria. He insisted that Christians in Benue State are being deliberately targeted by Fulani and Islamic extremists.
Moore, who spoke during an interview with Fox News, recently led a U.S. delegation to Benue State on a fact-finding mission on the persecution of Christians. The trip, authorised by U.S. President Donald Trump, included five members of Congress.
Speaking on the nature of the attacks, Moore said it was not reasonable to blame the killings on climate change or economic disputes, noting the pattern of violence in Christian communities.
He said: “The Fulani, these Islamic radicals, are attacking the IDP camps. They are attacking them in these IDP camps. And for those who say this is about climate change and land and things like that… economically driven… why would you burn down a church? Why would you attack an IDP, screaming ‘Allahu Akbar’? I think it’s very clear what the answer is there. They are trying to erase the Christians in Benue State and around Nigeria from their ancestral homeland.”
The U.S. lawmaker said Christians living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across Benue are under constant fear of attacks. He explained that during the delegation’s visit, they met victims and community leaders who shared their experiences.
Moore said: “This mission was part of our report. This is a fact-finding mission. A total of five members of Congress went there. We went to Benue State, which is one of the most dangerous states in the country of Nigeria. This is where all the Christians, the majority of them, are being murdered for their faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.”
He explained that the delegation traveled in armored vehicles with tight security due to the level of danger in the area.
According to him, the stories he heard from survivors were deeply disturbing. Moore recalled meeting a woman whose entire family was wiped out.
He said: “It was really shocking. The stories that we heard, the imagery, it was… I’ve never witnessed anything like that in my life. I met one woman who lost her entire family; five of her children were murdered right in front of her. She was pregnant at the time, and she was able to escape. She had that child in an Internally Displaced Persons camp. You could just see her soul had literally left her body. There are countless stories like this.”
He also narrated another incident: “Another woman’s family was attacked; she lost her husband and two daughters. They murdered her unborn child. These Islamic terrorists murdered her unborn child and took it right out of her. It’s beyond words.”
Moore said he and the delegation also met with traditional rulers, religious leaders and Christian groups who continue to live under threat. He described the situation as a “horrific genocidal campaign”.
He said: “They are forced to live in camps that are regularly attacked by Fulani Islamic radicals… We heard heartbreaking stories from survivors of this horrific genocidal campaign committed by the Fulani.”
Moore said the team is preparing a detailed report that will be presented to President Trump before the end of the month. The report, he said, will outline steps the U.S. government can take in partnership with Nigeria to address the persecution and end the killings.
He said: “He has asked myself and chairman Tom Cole to give him a report and report back to him, and we are going to do that by the end of this month.”
Moore added that the delegation intends to work with Nigerian authorities “in a coordinated and cooperative manner” to help stop the attacks and protect vulnerable communities.
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