US lawmaker urges Trump to take ‘forceful action’ over Plateau attack

A United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has urged 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 call on Thursday while reacting to reports of an attack in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, where gunmen reportedly opened fire on mourners during a mass burial on Wednesday.

 

Several persons were feared killed and others injured after the assailants attacked residents gathered to bury victims of an earlier assault in the community.

 

However, the incident had not been officially confirmed by the police as of the time of filing this report.

 

In a statement, Moore criticised the Nigerian government’s handling of insecurity, contrasting it with Nigeria’s military intervention in neighbouring Benin Republic during an attempted coup in December 2025.

 

“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 said.

 

The US lawmaker alleged that Christians gathered for a burial were attacked by “radical Islamic terrorists” and accused Nigerian authorities of failing to act despite warnings of possible violence.

 

“Enough is enough,” Moore stated, calling on the Trump administration to intensify pressure on Nigeria over the protection of Christians in the country’s Middle Belt region.

 

His comments were backed by Sean Nelson, Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom with the Alliance Defending Freedom International, who described Moore’s remarks as “very forceful.”

 

The comments followed reports that attackers emerged from surrounding hills and opened fire on mourners in Fan District, Barkin Ladi, forcing residents to flee.

 

An eyewitness, journalist Masara Kim, said several communities south of Jos were simultaneously attacked.

 

“While we were at the burial site, the attackers emerged from the hills and began shooting,” he said.

 

The latest incident comes amid growing claims by some US conservative politicians and advocacy groups that Christians in Nigeria are facing targeted persecution.

 

The Federal Government, however, has repeatedly rejected allegations of genocide, insisting that insecurity in Nigeria affects both Christians and Muslims and is largely driven by insurgency, banditry, and communal conflicts.