ABUJA, Dec. 13, 2025 (Naija247news) – A United States congressman, Riley Moore, has said Washington and Abuja are nearing a strategic security agreement aimed at tackling terrorism and persistent violence across parts of Nigeria, particularly in the North-East and the Middle Belt.
Moore disclosed this in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday night, noting that recent engagements with Nigerian authorities had yielded what he described as positive progress on the country’s security challenges.
The remarks followed a fact-finding visit to Nigeria by a US congressional delegation led by Moore, which was mandated to investigate allegations of genocide and broader insecurity. The visit was earlier reported by The PUNCH, which noted that the delegation is expected to brief former US President Donald Trump before the end of the month.
The five-member delegation arrived in Nigeria last Sunday and visited internally displaced persons (IDPs), survivors of terrorist attacks, Christian communities and leaders, as well as traditional rulers, with a particular focus on Benue State.
During the visit, the lawmakers also held meetings with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi.
Moore said the delegation travelled through parts of Benue State in armoured vehicles due to prevailing security concerns and met with Catholic and Protestant leaders, bishops and community heads to obtain what he termed “ground truth” on the situation.
He added that Trump had specifically tasked him, alongside the Chairman of the US House Appropriations Committee, Tom Cole, to compile a comprehensive report on the findings from the visit.
In his latest post, Moore said discussions with Nigerian officials centred on developing a framework to counter extremist groups operating in the North-East, including Boko Haram and ISIS-linked factions. He said the talks also extended to violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
The congressman characterised the Middle Belt violence as genocide against Christians by radical Fulani Muslims—an assertion the Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected, maintaining that insecurity in the country is complex, multi-dimensional and not driven by religion.
“We did have positive conversations with the Nigerian government, and I believe we are close to a strategic security framework to address both the ISIS and Boko Haram threat in the Northeast, as well as the genocide against Christians by the radical Fulani Muslims in the Middle Belt,” Moore wrote.
“The report that I will present to @POTUS outlines paths to work with the Nigerian government to end the slaughter of our brothers and sisters in Christ,” he added.
Moore did not disclose a timeline for finalising the proposed framework, nor did he provide details on the scale or nature of potential US involvement.
In late October, Trump designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” over alleged persecution of Christians—a move the Federal Government strongly disputed, reiterating that Nigeria’s security challenges are rooted in criminality, terrorism and governance issues rather than religious targeting.
Emma Tochi ✔
Godwin Okafor is the Publisher & CEO of Naija247news Media Group LLC, an independent investigative news platform delivering accurate, data-driven reporting on Nigerian and global politics, economy, finance, and business. Founded in October 2010, Naija247news specializes in developmental journalism, providing timely insights and analysis to readers across Nigeria and the diaspora.
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