The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has met with the United States Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, following US President Donald Trump’s threat against Nigeria.
Hegseth announced the visit in a post on his official X on Friday. He said he received Ribadu and his team to discuss the killing of Christians in Nigeria.
“Yesterday, I met with Nigeria’s National Security Advisor and his team to discuss the horrific violence against Christians in their country,” the post, with photos of the duo attached, read.
“Under @POTUS leadership, DOW is working aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists.”
US President Donald Trump had threatened to instruct the Department of War to send troops into Nigeria with “guns-a-blazing” to “wipe out the Islamic Terrorists,” who he said were killing Christians.
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Following the development, Ribadu led a high-level delegation to the United States on the matter at the directives of President Bola Tinubu.
The delegation comprised the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu; the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun; Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi; and the Chief of Defence Staff, Olufemi Oluyede.
Genocide claims
Trump had recently designated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), based on claims that Christians were being systematically killed in the country.
He later threatened that unless the Nigerian government stopped what he called “the genocide of Christians,” the United States under his watch would take military action.
The Nigerian government has, however, repeatedly rejected Trump’s allegations, insisting that terrorist attacks in the country target both Muslims and Christians and that there is no state policy or pattern of persecution against any religious group.
Trump’s comments came amid rising insecurity in several parts of the country, with terrorists abducting scores of persons and killing others.