The United States has called on the Nigerian government to intensify efforts to protect Christian communities across the country, following a series of recent attacks and abductions, particularly in Kaduna State.
The call was made during a high-level meeting of the US–Nigeria Joint Working Group held in Abuja. Speaking at the meeting, US Under Secretary for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, acknowledged that Nigeria had made some progress in recent months but stressed that ongoing incidents showed more needed to be done to guarantee the safety of Christians.
Hooker said the meeting focused on strengthening collaboration to deter violence against Christian communities, prioritise counterterrorism and insecurity, investigate attacks, hold perpetrators accountable, and reduce killings, forced displacement, and abductions, especially in the North-Central region.
She noted that recent successes, including the release of 38 Christians abducted from a church in Kwara State and 265 others taken from St. Mary’s Catholic School, demonstrated the impact of engagement and partnership between both countries. However, she expressed concern over reports that more than 170 Christians were kidnapped by gunmen in Kaduna State on January 18.
According to her, such incidents must come to an end, adding that the United States is committed to working with Nigeria to ensure Christians can practise their faith freely and safely. She also urged the government to collaborate closely with local authorities to secure the release of abducted victims and to work with non-governmental organisations to support affected families.
Hooker further stated that advancing religious freedom and security would strengthen US–Nigeria relations in other areas, including trade, economic cooperation, health responses, and the fight against terrorism. She added that it would also support efforts to return internally displaced persons to their communities.
Responding on behalf of the Nigerian government, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has taken deliberate and decisive steps to confront insecurity. He pointed to intensified joint operations and sustained deployment of security forces to priority locations, particularly communities facing repeated attacks on civilians and religious groups.
Ribadu said these directives were being matched with concrete action, including the expansion of early-warning and rapid-response mechanisms and the development of a national database to provide accurate and verifiable data on deaths and casualties resulting from violence. He explained that this would strengthen evidence-based decision-making, accountability, and the effectiveness of security responses.
He also noted that investigations and prosecutions related to attacks on religious communities had been intensified to ensure that violence is met not only with force but with justice and accountability. According to him, Nigeria’s plural nature makes the protection of all citizens—Christians, Muslims, and people of other beliefs—non-negotiable.
Ribadu stressed that violence framed along religious lines is treated as an attack on the Nigerian state itself. He said Nigeria’s response integrates security operations, the rule of law, humanitarian safeguards, and strategic communication to ensure operational successes translate into public confidence and stronger social cohesion.
While describing the US–Nigeria partnership as effective, the NSA said progress should be assessed based on overall direction, high-level government decisions, and institutional capacity being built to prevent, respond to, and punish violence, rather than isolated incidents in a complex security environment. He added that the partnership extends beyond security to democratic resilience, respect for the rule of law, regional stability in West Africa, and preventing extremist groups from exploiting social and governance gaps.
The meeting came amid heightened concern over religious violence following the abduction of over 100 worshippers from the Kurmin Wali community in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The incident sparked outrage after security agencies initially denied the abduction before later confirming it.
The Christian Association of Nigeria criticised the initial denial, describing it as disappointing and damaging to public trust. The incident has since intensified national debate over insecurity and the protection of religious communities.
As part of broader efforts to tackle these challenges, President Bola Tinubu approved the constitution of the Nigerian side of the US–Nigeria Joint Working Group in November 2025. The group includes key security and government officials and was formed to deepen collaboration between both countries in addressing Nigeria’s security challenges.
