US Lawmaker Calls for Trump Administration’s ‘Forceful Action’ Over Plateau Attack

A United States congressman has urged President Donald Trump’s administration to take decisive action to protect Christians in Nigeria following a fresh attack in Plateau State.

Riley Moore, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives, issued the call on Thursday in response to reports and videos emerging from Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, where gunmen allegedly attacked mourners during a mass burial on Wednesday.

Several people were feared dead and many others wounded after assailants reportedly opened fire on residents who had gathered to bury seven people killed in an earlier incident in the community. As of the time of this report, the attack had not been officially confirmed by the police.

In his statement, Moore drew a contrast between Nigeria’s military intervention in neighbouring Benin Republic during an attempted coup and what he described as the government’s failure to halt killings in parts of Plateau State.

“When I visited Nigeria, the government responded swiftly to quell a coup in Benin,” Moore said, referring to Nigeria’s deployment of fighter jets and troops in December 2025 to support the Beninese government against an attempted takeover.

“Nigeria’s willingness to step in to stop a violent attack in another country, while they stand by as their own Christian citizens are brutalised, makes these absolutely horrific scenes unfolding in Plateau State all the more unconscionable,” he stated.

Moore alleged that Christians gathered for a mass burial “were viciously murdered by radical Islamic terrorists,” adding that the Nigerian government had failed to act despite receiving early warnings of impending attacks.

“The Nigerian Government could root out the terrorism and stop the martyrdom of its own citizens. But, despite receiving early warnings of impending attacks, they are nowhere to be found as Christians are murdered for their faith, like lambs led to slaughter. Enough is enough,” he added.

Moore said he was encouraged that the Trump administration had identified the protection of Christians in Nigeria in its counterterrorism strategy, and called for “forceful action to defend our innocent brothers and sisters in Christ in the Middle Belt of Nigeria, the epicentre of an ongoing Christian genocide.”

His position received backing from Sean Nelson, Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom with Alliance Defending Freedom International, who described Moore’s comments as “very forceful” in a post on X.

The latest comments follow Wednesday’s attack in Fan District, Barkin Ladi, where mourners came under gunfire while preparing graves for victims of an earlier assault. An eyewitness, journalist Masara Kim, said the attackers emerged from surrounding hills and opened fire as villagers were conducting the burial.

“There is an ongoing massive attack on communities south of Jos. More than five communities are under simultaneous assault. While we were at the burial site, the attackers emerged from the hills and began shooting,” Kim said, adding that mourners “barely dug a shallow grave when the attackers struck,” forcing residents to flee for safety.

The development comes amid repeated claims by some US conservative politicians and advocacy groups, including allies of Trump and Senator Ted Cruz, that Christians in Nigeria are facing a “genocide” by Islamist militants. The Federal Government has consistently rejected the allegations, maintaining that insecurity in the country affects both Muslims and Christians and is driven by broader criminality, insurgency, and communal conflict.