A youth organization in Plateau State called the “Plateau Youth Conscience” (PYC) has formally requested that US Congressman Riley Moore, who is leading a US fact-finding delegation on alleged Christian genocide in Nigeria, visit Plateau State to observe the extensive number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) there. Congressman Moore recently reported that his team’s visit to Benue State identified over 600,000 Christian IDPs in camps, and he has been a vocal US critic regarding the purported genocide, particularly in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, allegations which the Nigerian government strongly denies. However, the PYC, through its Coordinator, Peter Agas, stated that the situation Moore witnessed in Benue would be minimal compared to what he would find in Plateau, a state that has endured violent attacks, killings, and mass displacement for over 25 years. Agas estimates that the rough count of IDPs in Plateau State exceeds one million, and they face a dreadful situation in camps located across several local government areas that have been the focus of the attacks, including Bokkos, Mangu, Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Bassa, and Kanam. While welcoming Moore’s visit to assess the alleged Christian genocide, Agas lamented the killings by bandits and terrorists and the Nigerian government’s continued denial of the reality, citing even local religious leaders who have spoken out being threatened and discredited. The PYC is pleading for Moore and his team to come to Plateau State to witness the IDP situation firsthand, noting that the conditions in the camps are deplorable, with many people reduced to destitution and begging, and women reportedly resorting to prostitution for survival. Agas added the disturbing allegation that security personnel in the camps have exploited the IDP women, turning them into sex slaves and conditioning the distribution of aid rations on sexual favors.
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