A United States congressional mission has returned from Nigeria with findings.
The team, which visited Benue State during a fact-finding trip, is now preparing a confidential briefing for US President Donald Trump.
The development has drawn global attention due to rising concerns about targeted killings in the region.
Moreover, the visit has deepened conversations around the US delegation report on Nigeria, which has become a major global talking point.
The five-member group arrived on Sunday and moved through several communities affected by violence.
Their meetings included sessions with displaced families, Christian leaders, community heads, and survivors in IDP camps.
They also held discussions with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).
However, the lawmakers said the testimonies they heard were more disturbing than expected.
Speaking on Fox News with host Harris Faulkner, Congressman Riley Moore said the trip was the hardest moment of his public career.
“It was really shocking, the stories we heard, the imagery. I have never witnessed anything like that in my life,” he said.
He noted that the team met a woman who lost her entire family in one attack. “Five of her children were murdered right in front of her while she was pregnant,” he said.
Moore added that another woman described losing her husband, two daughters and her unborn baby.
He said the pattern of the attacks suggested that Christian communities were being targeted.
In addition, he noted that the delegation moved around Benue in armoured vehicles due to serious security threats.
“This is a fact-finding mission. Benue is one of the most dangerous states in Nigeria. This is where the majority of Christians are being murdered for their faith in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
But I felt we had to go,” he said.
Furthermore, he questioned claims that the conflict revolves around land or climate pressure.
“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’?” he said.
“It is very clear what the answer is. They are trying to erase Christians in Benue State and across Nigeria from their ancestral homeland.”
Moore confirmed that Trump had ordered him and House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole to file a complete report.
“He has asked myself and Chairman Tom Cole to give him a report, and we are going to do that by the end of this month,” he said.
Meanwhile, the situation has reignited debate over Trump’s earlier designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern.”
