US Congressman hails arrest of Mahmoud Adam, links move to Nigeria-US security cooperation

United States Congressman Riley Moore has welcomed the reported arrest of Mahmoud Adam in Plateau State, describing the development as evidence that security cooperation between Nigeria and the United States is producing results.

Moore, a Republican member of the US House of Representatives, made the remarks in a post on X on Saturday, October 3, following reports that Adam was arrested in Plateau State on September 12.

The lawmaker described Adam as an alleged “radical Islamic Fulani terrorist leader” whom he accused of responsibility for the killings of Christians in Nigeria.

“This is great news for Christians in Nigeria,” Moore said, adding that the reported arrest was proof that the US-Nigeria Security Cooperation agreement was “bearing fruit.”

He also credited the Nigerian government for the reported arrest and said efforts by the US Congress and the administration of President Donald Trump to strengthen the protection of Christians were making a difference.

According to reports cited by several Nigerian media outlets, Adam was arrested in the early hours of September 12 at his compound in Plateau State, where he was described as a prominent Fulani community leader.

A report by the US-based Daily Caller alleged that Adam was secretly leading a group identified as the Fulani Ethnic Militia and linked him to attacks in Plateau State and other parts of Nigeria’s Middle Belt.

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The reports further alleged that Adam had met Nigerian military leaders and received gifts from some of them, while a senator was previously said to have intervened to secure his release from custody.

However, the allegations against Adam have not been independently established in the reports reviewed, while Nigerian security authorities have yet to publicly provide comprehensive details of the arrest, the specific charges against him or the evidence supporting the accusations.

The reported arrest comes amid increased security engagement between Abuja and Washington over terrorism, intelligence-sharing and attacks affecting communities in Nigeria.

Moore has been a prominent US voice on attacks against Christians in Nigeria and has previously called for stronger American engagement with the Nigerian government on security matters.

The Nigerian government has, however, previously rejected descriptions of the country’s insecurity as a conflict targeting Christians alone, maintaining that armed groups have attacked Nigerians across religious and ethnic lines.

For now, the reported detention of Adam has drawn attention in both Nigeria and the United States, but further official clarification is required to establish the precise allegations against him and the circumstances surrounding his arrest.