A United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has called on President Donald Trump’s administration to take stronger action in response to renewed attacks in Plateau State, Nigeria, particularly against Christian communities.
Moore made the appeal on Thursday while reacting to reports of a deadly attack in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, where gunmen reportedly opened fire on mourners during a mass burial on Wednesday.
The victims had gathered to bury seven people allegedly killed in an earlier attack when the assailants struck again, leaving several others feared dead and many injured. As of the time of filing this report, the police had yet to officially confirm the incident.
In a statement, Moore criticised the Nigerian government’s response to the violence, comparing it to 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 said. “Nigeria’s willingness to intervene in another country while its own citizens are being attacked makes the situation in Plateau even more disturbing.”
The US lawmaker alleged that Christians in the area were being targeted by “radical Islamic terrorists” and accused Nigerian authorities of failing to act despite warnings about possible attacks.
“The government has the capacity to root out terrorism and stop the killing of its citizens, but people are still being murdered for their faith,” Moore stated. “Enough is enough.”
He further urged the Trump administration to intensify efforts to protect Christians in Nigeria, particularly in the Middle Belt region, which he described as the centre of ongoing violence.
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Moore’s comments were backed by Sean Nelson, Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom with Alliance Defending Freedom International, who described the statement as “very forceful.”
In a post on X, Nelson said stronger pressure from the United States was needed, especially within the framework of America’s counterterrorism strategy.
The attack reportedly occurred in Fan District, Barkin Ladi, where mourners were preparing graves for earlier victims when gunmen emerged from nearby hills and began shooting.
Eyewitness and journalist Masara Kim said several communities south of Jos were simultaneously under attack.
“While we were at the burial site, the attackers came out from the hills and opened fire. People had barely dug shallow graves before everyone started running for safety,” he said.
The incident has renewed concerns among some US conservative politicians and advocacy groups, who continue to allege that Christians in Nigeria are facing targeted persecution by extremist groups.
However, the Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims of religious genocide, insisting that insecurity in the country affects both Christians and Muslims and is driven by a wider mix of terrorism, banditry, and communal conflict.
