A member of the United States Congress, Riley Moore, has called on President Donald Trump’s administration to take what he described as “forceful action” to protect Christians in Nigeria following renewed violence in Plateau State.
Moore made the appeal in a statement issued on Thursday while reacting to reports of an attack on mourners in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of the state.
Gunmen had reportedly attacked residents during a mass burial on Wednesday, killing several people and leaving many others injured.
The victims were said to have gathered to bury seven persons allegedly killed in an earlier attack on the community.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had yet to officially confirm the incident.
Reacting to the development, Moore criticised the Nigerian government over what he described as its failure to prevent repeated attacks in parts of Plateau State despite prior warnings.
The US lawmaker compared the situation with Nigeria’s military intervention in neighbouring Benin Republic during an attempted coup in December 2025.
“When I visited Nigeria, the government responded swiftly to quell a coup in Benin,” he stated.
He argued that Nigeria’s willingness to intervene in another country while attacks persist in parts of Plateau made the latest killings more disturbing.
Moore further alleged that Christians attending the burial were attacked by “radical Islamic terrorists,” insisting that authorities failed to respond adequately despite intelligence reports warning of possible violence.
According to him, the Nigerian government possesses the capacity to tackle terrorism and prevent attacks on its citizens but has failed to do so effectively.
The lawmaker also disclosed that he was encouraged by reports that the Trump administration had included the protection of Christians in Nigeria in its counterterrorism priorities.
He, however, urged the administration to take stronger measures to defend Christians in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, which he described as the epicentre of ongoing violence.
Moore’s comments received backing from Sean Nelson, Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom with Alliance Defending Freedom International.
In a post on X, Nelson described the statement as “very forceful,” adding that stronger pressure from the United States was necessary in line with its counterterrorism objectives.
The attack in Fan District, Barkin Ladi, reportedly occurred while residents were preparing graves for victims of an earlier assault.
An eyewitness, journalist Masara Kim, said the assailants emerged from nearby hills and opened fire on mourners during the burial exercise.
According to him, multiple communities south of Jos were simultaneously attacked, forcing residents to flee.
He added that villagers had barely begun the burial rites before the attackers struck.
The incident comes amid increasing claims by some conservative American politicians and advocacy groups that Christians in Nigeria are facing targeted persecution by extremist groups.
However, the Federal Government has repeatedly rejected allegations of genocide, insisting that insecurity in the country affects both Christians and Muslims and is largely driven by terrorism, banditry, and communal conflicts.
