By Charles Pemu 
A United States congressional delegation, led by Congressman Riley Moore, has concluded its fact-finding mission to Nigeria concerning alleged genocide and is scheduled to brief President Donald Trump before the end of the month.
The five-member delegation, which arrived in Nigeria on Sunday, visited Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), survivors of terrorist attacks, Christian communities, Christian leaders, and traditional rulers, with a specific focus on Benue State. The delegation also held high-level meetings with key government officials, including the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
Appearing on a Fox News programme anchored by Harris Faulkner on Thursday, Congressman Moore described the experience as the most disturbing of his career, sharing harrowing accounts of killings allegedly carried out by Fulani and Islamic extremists.
“It was really shocking the stories we heard, the imagery. I have never witnessed anything like that in my life,” Moore said.
He recounted meeting a woman who lost her entire family, with five of her children murdered in front of her while she was pregnant. He also shared the case of another woman who lost her husband, two daughters, and her unborn child in a single attack. Moore asserted that the pattern of violence strongly suggested that Christian communities were deliberately targeted.
Moore disclosed that the delegation traveled across Benue State in armoured vehicles due to the high security risks. He met with Catholic and Protestant leaders, bishops, and community heads to obtain what he called “ground truth.”
The Congressman dismissed claims that the violence is driven solely by climate pressures or land disputes, arguing that the attacks on IDP camps and the burning of churches contradict that narrative.
“For those who say this is about climate change or economics, why would you burn down a church? Why would you attack an IDP camp screaming ‘Allahu Akbar’? It is very clear what the answer is,” he stated. “They are trying to erase Christians in Benue State and across Nigeria from their ancestral homeland.”
Moore confirmed that President Trump tasked him and House Appropriations Chairman, Tom Cole, to compile a full report on the situation, with recommendations due by the end of December.
The mission follows President Trump’s late October decision to designate Nigeria a ‘Country of Particular Concern’ over alleged Christian genocide, a position the Federal Government has consistently countered, insisting that Nigeria’s security crisis has no religious colouration.