United States Congressman Riley Moore has called on President Donald Trump to take what he described as “forceful action” against Nigeria, including possible sanctions, following renewed killings in Plateau State, where gunmen attacked mourners during a mass burial in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area on Wednesday, opening fire on villagers who were burying seven people killed in an earlier assault on their community, in what eyewitnesses described as a coordinated simultaneous attack across more than five communities south of Jos.
Moore, who said he had previously visited Nigeria, directly criticised the Nigerian government’s response to insecurity, alleging that while Nigerian authorities “responded swiftly to quell a coup in Benin,” they “stand by as their own Christian citizens are brutalised,” and described the situation in Plateau as “all the more unconscionable.”
The attack, which left an unconfirmed number of people dead and several others wounded, occurred as armed men who had been observing the burial ceremony from surrounding hills suddenly descended on the community and opened fire on mourners as they were digging graves, according to eyewitnesses who described scenes of chaos as villagers fled for their lives while being pursued by gunmen who overwhelmed local defenders armed with hunting rifles and locally made weapons.
The attack occurred on Wednesday in Nding Fan District of Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, a community that was already in mourning following an earlier assault that had killed seven residents.
Villagers had gathered to conduct the mass burial of the seven victims when the assailants struck. According to eyewitness accounts, the attackers had been positioned on surrounding hills, observing the burial ceremony, before descending on the community and opening fire.
Masara Kim, a journalist who was present at the burial site, provided a harrowing account to journalists via telephone.
“There is an ongoing, massive attack on communities south of Jos. More than five communities are under simultaneous assault. While we were at the burial site, the attackers emerged from the hills and began shooting,” Kim stated.
He described how the mourners, who had barely begun digging graves, were forced to abandon the burial preparations and flee for safety.
“The mourners had barely dug a shallow grave when the attackers struck, forcing them to hurriedly bury the bodies and flee for safety,” Kim recounted.
He disclosed that a man was shot dead in his presence during the attack, providing direct eyewitness testimony to at least one killing.
Kim said local defenders who attempted to resist the attackers were overwhelmed. Armed with hunting rifles and locally made weapons, the community defence units were no match for the firepower of the assailants.
The journalist said he narrowly escaped the attack, adding that many residents fled the community as the gunmen advanced. The exact casualty figure could not be ascertained due to the chaotic and ongoing nature of the situation.
The most alarming element of Kim’s account is the simultaneous nature of the assault. He reported that more than five communities were under attack at the same time, suggesting a coordinated operation rather than a random act of violence.
Simultaneous attacks across multiple communities require planning, communication, sufficient personnel to maintain multiple assault teams, and a level of organisation that distinguishes the operation from the spontaneous communal clashes that the government frequently cites as the driver of insecurity in the Middle Belt.
The coordination suggests an armed group with the capacity to mount military-style operations across a wide area, target multiple communities at once, and overwhelm the limited security presence in rural communities that depend on poorly armed local defenders for their protection.
Rwang Tengwong, the Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, described the situation as “terrible,” adding that efforts were underway to rescue persons trapped in the area.
The Berom people, who are predominantly Christian and constitute the majority population in parts of Plateau State including Barkin Ladi, have borne the brunt of repeated attacks in the Middle Belt region over the past two decades. The Berom Youth Moulders Association has consistently called for greater security protection for communities that they say are targeted because of their ethnic and religious identity.
Tengwong’s use of the word “rescue” indicates that at the time of his statement, some residents remained trapped in affected areas, either unable to flee or cut off from escape routes by the ongoing attacks.
Congressman Moore’s statement, issued on Thursday in response to the attack reports, went beyond the expressions of concern that typically accompany international reactions to violence in Nigeria, calling for specific punitive action by the United States government.
“When I visited Nigeria, the government responded swiftly to quell a coup in Benin, but they stand by as their own Christian citizens are brutalised,” Moore stated.