By Ayomide Otitoju
The United States on Thursday called on Nigeria to strengthen efforts to protect Christian communities amid rising attacks in the country.
US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker made the remarks during a high-level US–Nigeria Working Group meeting in Abuja, urging greater action to prevent violence, hold perpetrators accountable, and reduce killings, abductions, and forced displacements—particularly in the North-Central states.
“While Nigeria has made progress, including the release of 38 Christians abducted from a church in Kwara State and 265 from St. Mary’s Catholic School, recent reports of over 170 Christians kidnapped in Kaduna on January 18 highlight the need for more,” Hooker said. She stressed the importance of working with local authorities and NGOs to secure victims and support affected families.
Hooker added that advancing religious freedom and security would strengthen US–Nigeria cooperation in areas including trade, economic development, health, counterterrorism, and the return of internally displaced persons.
Responding, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu highlighted measures taken under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including intensified joint operations, deployment of security forces to vulnerable areas, and the development of a national database to track violence-related casualties. He said investigations and prosecutions for attacks on religious communities have been intensified to ensure accountability.
“Nigeria is a deeply plural society, and the protection of all citizens—Christians, Muslims, and others—is non-negotiable. Violence along religious lines is treated as an attack on the state,” Ribadu said, noting that the government’s approach integrates security operations, rule of law, humanitarian safeguards, and strategic communication to build public confidence.
Ribadu emphasized that partnership with the US should be evaluated based on overall progress, institutional capacity, and long-term strategies to prevent and respond to violence, rather than isolated incidents. He also highlighted collaboration on democratic resilience, regional stability, and countering extremist actors.
The meeting follows the abduction of over 100 worshippers in Kurmin Wali, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna, an incident initially denied by state authorities but later confirmed. Joseph Hayab, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the northern region, condemned the initial denials, calling them a “total failure” that worsened distrust between communities and security agencies.
President Tinubu approved the Nigerian side of the US-Nigeria Joint Working Group in November 2025 to deepen cooperation on security challenges. Members include the NSA, Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Interior, and Humanitarian Affairs, Chief of Defence Staff, Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, and the Inspector General of Police.
