By Nkiruka Nnorom
US Congressman, Rep. Riley Moore, has said Fulani militants are by far the largest perpetrators of violence against Christians in Nigeria, even as he called for renewed US action to stop killings in the country’s Middle Belt.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Moore said he has been investigating the alleged genocide against Christians in Nigeria.
“As I have been saying since I started investigating the genocide against Christians in Nigeria, Fulani militants are by far the largest perpetrators of violence against Christians in Nigeria,” he wrote.
The Congressman acknowledged progress made by the Trump Administration against Boko Haram and ISWAP, two terrorist groups that have waged more than 15-year insurgency in Nigeria’s North East.
“The Trump Administration has made historic progress against Boko Haram and ISWAP,” Moore stated, “but we must also stop the killing in the Middle Belt at the hands of the Fulani if we want to ensure our brothers and sisters in Christ are safe to live and worship without being murdered.”
The Middle Belt, which spans several central Nigerian states, has witnessed recurring clashes between farmers and herders, as well as attacks that Christian groups and rights organizations say have disproportionately targeted Christian communities.
Moore’s comments add to growing US congressional attention on religious freedom and security in Nigeria. Successive US administrations have designated Boko Haram and ISWAP as terrorist organizations and provided security and humanitarian assistance to Nigeria.
The federal government had, however, consistently said the violence in the Middle Belt was driven by criminality, banditry, and resource conflicts, and not targeted religious persecution. It has also denied claims of genocide
