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US Congressman Recounts Harrowing Experience in Nigeria, Confirms ‘Systematic Genocidal Campaign’
United States Congressman, Riley Moore, has described his recent visit to Nigeria as distressing, recounting harrowing encounters with victims of violent attacks, particularly in the Middle Belt region.
Moore last week led a congressional delegation on a fact-finding visit to Nigeria over killings in the northern part of the country.
The five-member team arrived in Nigeria last Sunday and spent several days in Benue State, meeting internally displaced persons, survivors of attacks, Christian leaders, traditional rulers, and communities affected by violence.
They also held meetings in Abuja with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi.
The delegation expected to brief President Donald Trump on their findings before the end of the month.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Moore said his trip exposed him to the human cost of insecurity in Nigeria, particularly among vulnerable communities affected by terrorism and communal violence in the North.
The West Virginia lawmaker posted the interview on his X handle on Saturday.
Speaking on his experience, Moore said he met women who had survived brutal assaults that claimed the lives of their families.
He recalled meeting a woman who watched all five of her children murdered in her presence.
“It is really heartbreaking. I met a woman who unfortunately had to witness all five of her children murdered right in front of her. I met another woman in an internally displaced persons camp who lost her husband and her two daughters, and the Fulani Islamic radicals had murdered her unborn child—they took it out of her. She survived that, and they are all living in these IDP camps.
“There is a systematic genocidal campaign by the Fulani Muslim radicals in the Middle Belt of this country to push these Christians off their ancestral land,” he said.
The US lawmaker alleged that the violence in parts of the Middle Belt amounted to a coordinated campaign against Christian communities, claiming they are being driven off their ancestral lands.
“There is a systematic genocidal campaign by the Fulani Muslim radicals in the Middle Belt of this country to push these Christians off their ancestral land,” he reiterated.
Despite the grim accounts, Moore said his delegation held what he described as a positive meeting with the Nigerian government, expressing optimism that concrete steps could follow.
“We did have a positive meeting with the Nigerian government. There are positive things coming out of that government that I think will put us on a path toward a strategic security framework and a cooperative agreement to start addressing these issues,” he said.
Moore added that the protection of Christians facing violence remained a top concern for both him and the US President, noting the broader security challenges posed by terrorist groups in other parts of the country.
“First and foremost, my concern, and the President’s concern, is for these Christians, our brothers and sisters who are being slaughtered,” he said. “But there is also the terrorist threat in the North East from Boko Haram and ISIS, who are responsible for the unwanted deaths of Christians, non-Christians, and Muslims alike,” he added.
The Congressman described Nigeria’s security crisis as multi-layered, stressing the need for a comprehensive approach that addresses both terrorism in the North East and what he termed persecution in the Middle Belt.
“The problem is two-tier, and we have to address this Christian persecution and genocide that is happening in the Middle Belt of this country,” he said.
Source: The Punch
Adebayo Adelabu, one of the aspirants for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket in Oyo State, has alleged irregularities in the party’s governorship primary election held on Thursday.
Adelabu, who expressed dissatisfaction over the conduct of the exercise, stated that the primary was characterized by misconduct ranging from disenfranchisement of his supporters in some wards and the commencement of election process earlier than scheduled.
Speaking after the conclusion of the primary election at IMG School, Ward 9, Ibadan South-East Local Government Area, the immediate past Minister of Power alleged that the process was neither free, fair nor credible.
He said: “Before our people started getting to their various wards, they have already conducted the election and they wrote the figures they want as results.
“In some wards, our people were prevented from voting. They were intimidated. They were chased away violently. And in some wards, voting did not take place at all.
“All this kind of misconduct is not good at this stage of our democracy in Nigeria, and something has to be done about it.”
Adelabu, therefore, vowed to come up with serious petitions against all the irregularities not just in Ibadan, but across all the five geopolitical zones in Oyo State.
“Also, conduct of many party executives is uncalled for, a lot of people bought forms and they were cleared. And they decided to conduct affirmation of a particular candidate in some wards.
“There was nothing like consensus arrangement. It was just a figment of their weird imagination. The instruction we got from Abuja was that we should all carry out free, fair, and transparent direct primary election where every aspirant will be given a level playing ground and the election will be conducted peacefully.
“Where did they get the idea of consensus candidates? And this is what happened in a lot of the wards. And it didn’t go down well with us. “We don’t want that. We are going to assess the gravity of this gross misconduct and the potential impact on the overall result of this election.
“I will put a petition forward to the appropriate authorities so that it can be deeply investigated and there must be consequences to this. The people who perpetrated this misconduct must be identified and punished. And the aspirants involved also need to be suspended because this is not good for us.
“Democracy is the government of the people by the people and for the people where nobody should be disenfranchised. Once you are a party member, you should have that freedom, that authority to pick an aspirant of your choice as the flag bearer of the party.
“This is Ibadan, this is Oyo State and this the centre of politics in the southwest. And we should be able to lay good examples and the process should produce a candidate that won transparently, freely and fairly,” he said.
Meanwhile, at Ward 9, Ibadan South-East Local Government, Adelabu, polled 430 to defeat his closest rival, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, who had 3 votes.
Al Nassr captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, has finally won the Saudi Pro League title.
They were confirmed champions on Thursday, thanks to a 4-2 drubbing of relegation battlers, Damac.
The title race had gone down to the final day after Al-Nassr dramatically dropped points against Al-Hilal the previous week.
Jorge Jesus’ side knew there could be no mistakes against a Damac side fighting for survival at the other end of the table.
Ronaldo was on the scoresheet, as his brace helped Al Nassr secure the title ahead of rivals Al Hilal.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has announced his withdrawal from the All Progressives Congress governorship primary election in the state.
Fubara made this known in a statement personally signed on Wednesday, saying he would support whoever emerges as the party’s candidate, The Nations reported.
The governor said his decision followed extensive consultations with his family, friends, and political associates.
“After deep reflection and extensive consultations with my family, friends, and associates, I have taken the difficult but necessary decision to withdraw from the APC governorship primaries. I do so with a full heart and with a firm commitment to support whoever emerges as the candidate of our great party,” Fubara said.
Fubara said although the decision was difficult, he remained committed to supporting whoever would emerge as the APC governorship candidate.
According to him, leadership demands sacrifice and personal ambition must sometimes give way to the collective interest of the people.
Meanwhile, the embattled governor expressed appreciation to his supporters for their loyalty, prayers and sacrifices throughout the political process, acknowledging that many would feel disappointed by his withdrawal.
He said his silence in recent weeks was “deliberate and strategic,” adding that it was guided by the higher interest of the state.
Tone Cole, APC chieftain and 2027 governorship aspirant in Rivers State, also announced his withdrawal from the race, saying his decision was, among other reasons, in the interest of the party’s unity.
