The United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, has met with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, at the Pentagon for high-level talks on what the Trump administration describes as escalating and “horrific” violence targeting Christian communities in Nigeria, largely blamed on jihadist terror groups.
Hegseth,in a statement posted on his official X account, @SecWar, 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 post was accompanied by photographs from the meeting, capturing formal introductions as well as moments from the closed-door discussions.
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 militants have been linked to widespread attacks.
Human rights organizations, 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 rein in extremist violence.
Trump has said American forces could be deployed ‘guns-a-blazing’ to confront Islamist militants if necessary.
Earlier this year, the U.S. administration returned Nigeria to its list of “Countries of Particular Concern” over religious freedom violations—reversing its previous removal—and signaled that future American support would depend on clear progress in protecting vulnerable religious minorities.o
