The United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, has held a high-level meeting with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and members of his delegation at the Pentagon to discuss what the Trump administration has described as escalating and ‘horrific violence’ against Christians in Nigeria, largely perpetrated by jihadist terror groups.
In a statement posted on his official X account, @SecWar, Hegseth wrote: “Yesterday, I met with Nigeria’s National Security Advisor and his team to discuss the horrific violence against Christians in their country. Under @POTUS leadership, DOW is working aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists.”
The message was accompanied by photographs of the meeting, showing formal introductions and a closed-door dialogue.
The engagement comes at a time of intensified U.S. concern over Nigeria’s security landscape, particularly in the northern and Middle Belt regions, where Boko Haram, ISWAP, and armed Fulani terrorists have been linked to widespread attacks.
Human rights organisations, including Open Doors and the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, have continued to raise alarms over rising fatalities.
According to recent tallies, more than 7,000 Christians were killed in the first seven months of 2025, an average of over 30 deaths per day, resulting from mass killings, kidnappings, and assaults on churches and remote farming communities.
The meeting also follows a series of strong warnings from President Donald Trump, who has threatened possible U.S. military action if Nigeria fails to check extremist violence.
Trump has said American forces could be deployed ‘guns-a-blazing’ to confront Islamist terrorists if necessary.
Earlier this year, the U.S. administration placed Nigeria back on the list of “Countries of Particular Concern” for violations of religious freedom, a reversal of the previous delisting, and linked future American support to demonstrable progress in safeguarding vulnerable religious minorities.
