United States lawmaker, Riley Moore, has called on President Donald Trump to initiate “forceful action” against Nigeria following a surge of deadly violence in Plateau State.
The appeal follows a harrowing attack on Wednesday in the Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, where gunmen reportedly opened fire on mourners during a mass burial.
The incident, which left several dead and many others injured, has sparked international outrage over the perceived inability of the Nigerian government to protect its citizens from recurring assaults.
In a scathing statement issued, Moore criticized the Nigerian government’s priorities, contrasting their regional military interventions with their domestic security failures. “When I visited Nigeria, the government responded swiftly to quell a coup in Benin, but they stand by as their own Christian citizens are brutalized,” Moore remarked, describing the situation in the Middle Belt as “unconscionable.”
He alleged that the mourners were specifically targeted by “radical Islamic terrorists” and claimed that authorities failed to act despite receiving early warnings of the impending attack.
The call for intervention includes a push for the Trump administration to exert “maximum pressure” on Abuja, with Moore suggesting that sanctions may be necessary to defend “brothers and sisters in Christ.”
This sentiment was echoed by Sean Nelson, who took to social media to advocate for heightened U.S. counter-terrorism efforts in the region.
Eyewitnesses from the Barkin Ladi attack described a chaotic scene where armed men descended from surrounding hills to spray bullets into the crowd, forcing villagers to flee for their lives while authorities have yet to release a definitive casualty count.
In response to growing international scrutiny, the Nigerian government has consistently denied allegations of religious genocide.
Officials maintain that the nation’s security crisis is a complex byproduct of terrorism, banditry, and communal conflicts that claim the lives of both Christians and Muslims alike.
While the government insists it is working to root out insurgent groups, the latest violence in Plateau State has intensified the debate over whether international diplomatic and economic pressure is required to stabilize the region.
