THE United States on Thursday urged the Nigerian government to intensify efforts towards protecting Christian communities in the country.
News Point Nigeria reports that the US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, who made the call, said that while some progress had been made in recent months, recent attacks indicated that Nigeria must do more to guarantee the safety of Christians.
“Today, we are here to discuss how we can work together to deter violence against Christian communities, prioritising counterterrorism and insecurity; investigating attacks and holding perpetrators accountable; and reducing the number of killings, forced displacements, and abductions of Christians, particularly in the North-Central states, Hooker said during a high-level US–Nigeria Working Group meeting in Abuja.
“With respect to the protection of Christians, the Nigerian government recently secured the release of 38 Christians abducted from a church in Kwara State, and another 265 abducted from St. Mary’s Catholic School. This real progress is a direct result of our engagement with the Nigerian government and our partnership.
“We are, however, concerned about recent reports that gunmen kidnapped more than 170 Christians in Kaduna State on January 18. We want to see an end to this type of violence. And we are here to work with the Nigerian government with the goal of protecting Christians and their right to practise their faith freely and safely.
“We call for the government to work with the local authorities to find and secure the release of the innocent victims and to work with NGOs to meet the victims’ families’ needs in the meantime,” she added.
Hooker added that advancing religious freedom and security would deepen U.S.–Nigeria relations in other areas, including trade, economic cooperation, health responses, and the fight against terrorism, while also supporting the return of internally displaced persons to their communities.
The high-level meeting, held in Abuja, was attended by senior US and Nigerian government officials.
According to her, advancing religious freedom and security will help the United States and Nigeria enhance the reciprocal benefits of their relationship, “solidifying trade and economic deals, degrading terrorist groups that threaten our interests, and strengthening health responses, among many other areas”.
“We also hope to identify ways to return internally displaced persons to the communities from which they were expelled in the North-Central states, interdict weapons and funding going to terrorist groups, expand investigations, and ensure the prosecution of individuals and groups committing atrocities,” Hooker stated.
Responding, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, said Nigeria, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has taken deliberate and decisive steps to confront insecurity, with intensified joint operations, and the sustained deployment of security forces to priority locations, particularly those communities experiencing recurrent attacks on civilians and religious groups.
“These directives have been matched with concrete action. Nigeria is expanding early-warning and rapid-response mechanisms, developing a national database to serve as a single, authoritative source of accurate and verifiable data on deaths and casualties arising from violence.
“This effort will strengthen evidence-based decision-making, accountability, and the effectiveness of security responses,” he said.
Ribadu stated 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.
“Nigeria is a deeply plural society, and the protection of all citizens Christians, Muslims, and those of other beliefs is non-negotiable. Violence framed along religious lines is treated as an attack on the Nigerian state itself.
“Our response, therefore, integrates security operations, the rule of law, humanitarian safeguards, and strategic communication, ensuring that operational successes translate into public confidence and strengthened social cohesion,” he said.
While noting that the partnership between Nigeria and the US is working, the NSA said it was important that progress be measured not by isolated incidents within a complex security environment, but rather on the overall direction of travel, the decisions taken at the highest level of government, and the institutional capacity being built to prevent, respond to, and punish violence wherever it occurs.
“Nigeria believes this is the most responsible and credible basis for partnership and evaluation.
“We also recognise that our partnership with the United States extends well beyond security cooperation. It encompasses democratic resilience, respect for the rule of law, regional stability in West Africa and a shared determination to prevent extremist and malign actors from exploiting governance gaps or social fractures,” he added.
The high-level meeting came in the wake of the abduction of over 100 worshippers in the Kurmin Wali community of Kajuru Local Government Area of the state by bandits.
Over 100 worshippers were kidnapped by the bandits.
Days after initially denying the incident, the police confirmed the attack and abductions.
The incident angered some stakeholders, including the Christian Association of Nigeria.
The incident has heightened concerns over religious violence in Nigeria.
The Kaduna State Government and the police initially denied the abduction on Monday, but the police later reversed their position on Wednesday, confirming that the worshippers were indeed taken.