The United States on Thursday called on the Nigerian government to step up efforts to safeguard Christian communities across the country.
Allison Hooker, US Under Secretary for Political Affairs, highlighted that while progress has been made in recent months, recent attacks underscore the need for stronger measures to ensure the safety of Christians, particularly in the North-Central states.
“We are here to explore how we can collaborate to prevent violence against Christian communities, prioritize counterterrorism efforts, investigate attacks, hold perpetrators accountable, and reduce killings, abductions, and forced displacements,” Hooker said during a high-level US–Nigeria Working Group meeting in Abuja.
Hooker acknowledged recent successes, noting the release of 38 Christians abducted from a church in Kwara State and 265 from St. Mary’s Catholic School. However, she expressed concern over the kidnapping of more than 170 Christians in Kaduna State on January 18, calling for urgent action to secure their release and support their families through local authorities and NGOs.
She added that strengthening religious freedom and security would also enhance US–Nigeria relations across multiple areas, including trade, economic cooperation, health, and counterterrorism, while facilitating the return of internally displaced persons.
“Advancing religious freedom and security will allow both countries to solidify trade and economic deals, disrupt terrorist groups, strengthen health responses, and ensure accountability for perpetrators,” Hooker said.
Nigeria’s Response: Protection of All Citizens Non-Negotiable
Responding, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu stressed that Nigeria, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has taken decisive measures to confront insecurity, including intensified joint operations and sustained security deployments in high-risk areas.
Ribadu highlighted ongoing initiatives such as:
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Expanding early-warning and rapid-response systems
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Developing a national database for accurate violence-related data
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Intensifying investigations and prosecutions of attacks on religious communities
“Nigeria is a deeply plural society. The protection of all citizens—Christians, Muslims, and others—is non-negotiable. Violence along religious lines is treated as an attack on the state itself,” Ribadu said, emphasizing a coordinated approach combining security operations, rule of law, humanitarian safeguards, and strategic communication.
He added that progress should be measured by overall institutional capacity, government decisions, and the ability to prevent, respond to, and punish violence, rather than isolated incidents. Ribadu also underscored that US–Nigeria cooperation extends beyond security, covering democratic resilience, regional stability, and preventing extremist exploitation of governance gaps.
Context: Rising Religious Violence
The call comes after the abduction of over 100 worshippers in the Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru LGA, Kaduna State. The police initially denied the incident but later confirmed it, raising public concern and drawing criticism from the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
“The initial denial by security agencies was a total failure and has further eroded trust between citizens and those responsible for their security,” said Joseph Hayab, CAN chairman in northern Nigeria.
US–Nigeria Joint Working Group
The high-level meeting was part of ongoing collaboration through the US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, established in November 2025 to deepen security cooperation. The Nigerian side is led by the National Security Adviser and includes ministers of Defence, Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Humanitarian Affairs, as well as senior security officials such as the Chief of Defence Staff, Inspector General of Police, and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency.
