Over 600,000 Christians in IDP camp in Benue State- U.S. Congressman Riley Moore raises alarm

By Johnson Arua

U.S. Congressman, Riley Moore has expressed deep concern over the scale of violence and displacement in Benue State, Nigeria, following his recent visit to several Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the state.

In a statement shared on his X handle formally twitter, Moore said he met with “dozens of Christians” who had fled their homes after suffering what he described as “horrific violence.” According to him, the survivors recounted experiences that he said would “remain with [him] for the rest of [his] life.”

Moore narrated several alleged incidents recounted by camp residents. One woman, he said, told him she was forced to watch as her husband and five children were killed before she narrowly escaped with her unborn child. Another woman reportedly described how her family members were murdered and her baby “ripped from her womb.”

The congressman also cited the experience of a man who claimed his family was “hacked to death” while he survived with a permanently damaged arm.

Moore said the accounts reflect a broader humanitarian crisis affecting Christian communities in the state. “There are more than 600,000 Christians in IDP camps in Benue State alone,” he wrote.

He further argued that displaced residents “should be able to live in their ancestral homeland without fear,” describing the alleged perpetrators as violent groups associated with Fulani militias.

Observers have argued that his comments reflected a long-running and highly sensitive national debate over communal violence, farmer-herder clashes, and security challenges across parts of Nigeria.

Nigerian authorities have repeatedly maintained that the violence in the region is driven by complex factors, including resource conflicts, banditry, and longstanding communal tensions, and have warned against framing the crisis in ways that could inflame religious or ethnic divisions.

Moore’s remarks are expected to draw further international attention to the humanitarian situation in Benue, where state officials and aid organizations continue to call for stronger security measures and long-term resettlement support for displaced families.