Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu held high-level discussions with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday, aiming to defuse tensions sparked by President Donald Trump’s vow to deploy American troops “guns-a-blazing” against Islamist militants in Nigeria unless attacks on Christians cease.
The meeting, Ribadu’s first major US engagement since Trump’s explosive rhetoric last month, focused on the “horrific violence against Christians,” Hegseth said in a post on X, flanked by photos of the duo’s handshake.
“Yesterday, I met with Nigeria’s National Security Advisor and his team to discuss the horrific violence against Christians in their country,” Hegseth wrote. “Under @POTUS leadership, DOW is working aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists.”
Ribadu led a heavyweight delegation at President Bola Tinubu’s directive, including Foreign Affairs Minister of State Bianca Ojukwu, Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi and Chief of Defence Staff Olufemi Oluyede, underscoring Abuja’s bid to avert escalation amid bilateral strains.
Trump’s threat followed his redesignation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom violations, alleging a “genocide of Christians” by jihadists — a charge Nigeria vehemently denies, insisting attacks like school abductions and church raids target all faiths indiscriminately, without state complicity.
No immediate outcomes emerged from the talks, but Hegseth’s post signals collaborative intent, potentially staving off aid cuts or military action that could upend $1 billion-plus in annual US assistance. Nigerian officials reiterated their stance, with an anonymous source close to Ribadu saying: “We are committed partners in counter-terrorism; threats undermine our joint gains against Boko Haram and ISWAP.”
The dialogue arrives as insecurity surges, with over 200 abductions in the northwest this month alone, testing Tinubu’s administration amid calls for renewed US-Nigeria security pacts.
