A youth group in Plateau State, operating under the banner of Plateau Youth Conscience (PYC), has urged US Congressman Riley Moore to visit the state and witness the large number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) living across various communities.
Moore, who leads the US delegation conducting a fact-finding mission on alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria, reported on Wednesday that his team’s visit to Benue State revealed more than 600,000 Christian IDPs in different camps.
A vocal critic of the Nigerian government’s handling of violence against Christians in the Middle Belt, Moore has been in the country with a delegation to investigate the allegations, which the Nigerian government has strongly denied.
However, PYC, in a statement issued by its Coordinator, Peter Agas, said what Moore and his team witnessed in Benue would be “child’s play” compared to the situation in Plateau State.
According to Agas, Plateau has endured violent attacks, killings, and mass displacements for over 25 years. He estimated that more than one million people are currently living as IDPs in various local government areas, including Bokkos, Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Bassa, and Kanam, which have been the epicentres of attacks.
Agas said, “The visit of US Congressman Riley Moore and his team to assess the level of Christian genocide in Nigeria is a most welcome development. We have cried out over the killing of Christians in Plateau State by bandits and terrorists, but the Nigerian government continues to deny the reality.
“Even our father, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, who has been the most vocal voice, has been threatened, branded a liar, and told to shut up.
“With Moore and his team coming to find out the truth, we urge them to come to Plateau State and see things for themselves. Here, we have over one million people in IDP camps, and their conditions are appalling. Anyone visiting these camps would weep at the suffering of the inmates.”
Agas added that many of the displaced have been reduced to destitution, with some resorting to begging, while some women have turned to prostitution in a bid to survive. He further alleged that some security personnel in the camps exploit women, only providing rations to those who comply with sexual demands.
“We are begging Rep. Moore and his team to come to Plateau to see the situation for themselves,” Agas pleaded.