Key Points

• Global attention to IDP crisis remains urgent.

• Congressman backs stronger international intervention.

• Benue camps struggle with overstretched resources.

After meeting with survivors who had to leave their homes because of years of deadly attacks on rural communities, US Congressman Riley Moore has called for more global attention to the humanitarian situation in Benue State. Moore, who went to a number of camps for people who had to leave their homes, said that stories he heard there made him realise how bad the situation is and how important it is for the world to do more.

In a post on X, the lawmaker said he met many Christian families who had to leave their homes because their villages were attacked violently. He said that many of the people he talked to told him about times when family members were killed and whole families had to move.

“They told stories that will stay with me for the rest of my life,” Moore wrote. Several survivors talked about losing spouses, children, or other family members during the attacks.

More people are calling for the world to pay attention to the IDP crisis

Moore talked about a woman who said she got away after her whole family was killed. Another survivor told him that her village was attacked at night and she lost family members. He heard a man tell him how he lived after being hurt while trying to get away.

The congressman said that there are more than 600,000 displaced Christians living in camps across Benue. This state has seen a lot of fighting between farming communities and armed groups. He asked the rest of the world to pay more attention to what he called a worsening humanitarian problem.

The Benue IDP crisis is the main topic of security talks

Moore met with Tiv leaders, Catholic bishops, and traditional rulers during his trip and said the talks were “deeply moving.” He then met separately in Abuja with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and high-ranking government officials to talk about insecurity in the North-East and Middle Belt.

Moore said that Nigeria’s recent work with the U.S., which he called a “now established joint task force,” was a good sign, but it needed to lead to more action. Ribadu confirmed the talks, saying they were about working together to fight terrorism and keep the region safe.

Recent tensions put the U.S.-Nigeria relationship to the test

Moore’s visit comes at a time when diplomatic relations are tense because Washington has named Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” for alleged violations of religious freedom. The move has caused a lot of talk in Abuja and made people wonder about future defence cooperation between the two countries.

Moore praised recent rescue missions involving kidnapped schoolchildren, saying that U.S. concerns were “positively received” during his meetings, even though there was tension. He said the visit was useful, but he stressed that Nigeria and its partners still have a lot of work to do to stabilise the areas that were affected.