More than 600,000 displaced Christians are currently sheltering in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Benue State, Nigeria, according to United States Congressman Riley M. Moore, following a visit to the region.

Moore, a member of the US House of Representatives representing West Virginia’s 2nd District, described meeting “dozens of Christians who were driven from their homes and subjected to horrific violence.” He said the testimonies he heard will remain with him “for the rest of my life.”

In posts on his official X handle, Moore recounted multiple instances of extreme brutality during attacks on rural villages. He described one woman forced to witness the murder of her husband and five children before escaping with her unborn baby. Another survivor reportedly saw her family killed and had her baby ripped from her womb. He also met a man whose family was “hacked to death” and who himself suffered permanent injury.

“These Christians should be able to live in their ancestral homeland without fear,” Moore wrote, condemning what he termed “genocidal violence” against rural Christian communities.

The congressman warned that the sheer scale of displacement highlights a deepening humanitarian crisis and called for urgent international attention to support survivors now living in crowded, under-resourced IDP camps.

Photographs shared by Moore depict both the victims and the harsh conditions inside the camps, underscoring the severity of the situation.

Attacks on farming communities across Nigeria’s Middle Belt have long been documented by authorities and rights groups, though casualty figures and the identity of perpetrators often remain disputed. Moore’s firsthand account adds weight to growing calls for urgent intervention to protect vulnerable populations and address the underlying causes of violence.