Allison Hooker, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
United States has urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to intensify efforts to protect Christian communities and curb terrorism, even as both sides reaffirmed their security partnership.
Highlighting what they described as tangible progress in counter-terrorism operations and law enforcement since late 2025, the commitments were made on Thursday in Abuja during a U.S.–Nigeria Working Group meeting on religious freedom and civilian protection.
The meeting was attended by Allison Hooker, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser.
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Speaking at the opening session, Hooker said the designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by President Donald Trump on October 31, 2025, had triggered “tremendous strides” in bilateral cooperation aimed at protecting vulnerable communities and degrading terrorist networks.
She said the U.S.–Nigeria partnership was rooted in shared interests spanning trade, investment, energy, and regional security, but noted that the immediate focus of the engagement was on deterring violence against Christian communities, countering terrorism, investigating attacks, and holding perpetrators accountable.
“Today, we are here to discuss how we can work together to reduce killings, forced displacements, and abductions of Christians, particularly in the North Central states,” Hooker said.
She commended Nigeria’s cooperation with the United States in recent counter-terrorism operations, including closely coordinated airstrikes carried out on December 25, which she said were aimed at degrading the capacity of terrorist groups targeting Christian communities.
Highlighting what she described as early gains, Hooker said the Nigerian government had ordered the recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers for deployment to vulnerable areas, while federal prosecutors had arraigned nine suspects linked to a June massacre in Benue State.
She also disclosed that 39 suspects were arrested while allegedly fleeing Sokoto State following the December 25 strikes authorised by the U.S. Department of War.
On hostage rescues, the U.S. official noted that Nigerian security forces had secured the release of 38 Christians abducted from a church in Kwara State and 265 others taken from St. Mary’s Catholic School, describing the development as “real progress” driven by sustained engagement between both governments.
However, Hooker expressed concern over fresh violence, citing reports that more than 170 Christians were kidnapped by gunmen in Kaduna State on January 18.
She said the Nigerian government “must do more” to guarantee the right of Christians to practise their faith freely and safely, while also urging local authorities to work with non-governmental organisations to support victims and their families.
Hooker added that advancing religious freedom and security would unlock benefits for both countries, including stronger trade and economic ties, improved health cooperation, and a more effective response to extremist threats.
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She said the U.S. hoped the Working Group would identify practical steps to return internally displaced persons to their communities, interdict weapons and terrorist financing, and expand investigations and prosecutions linked to mass atrocities.
Responding, Ribadu described the meeting as a continuation of intensified diplomatic and security engagements with Washington since November 2025, including visits by two U.S. congressional delegations in December.
He said Nigeria viewed the Working Group not as a compliance mechanism but as a “problem-solving platform” designed to align priorities, address concerns, and consolidate progress already recorded.
The adviser praised what he described as the depth and impact of U.S.–Nigeria military cooperation, noting that enhanced intelligence sharing and closer coordination between U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters had strengthened counter-terrorism operations under Operation HADIN KAI in the North East and Operation FASAN YAMMA in the North West and North Central regions.
According to him, the cooperation had moved “decisively beyond dialogue to action,” enabling improved target identification, joint planning, and the disruption of terrorist networks and transnational criminal elements.
He said recent operations had led to the neutralisation of several hundred terrorists, the destruction of logistics hubs, and the interception of key facilitators.
He also welcomed U.S. commitments to the delivery of outstanding defence equipment, including drones, helicopters, spare parts and other platforms procured over the past five years, as well as Washington’s readiness to provide surplus military hardware.
“he cooperation had respected Nigeria’s sovereignty and prioritised civilian protection and accountability”, he stressed.
At the domestic level, the National Security Adviser said President Bola Tinubu had declared security emergencies in high-risk areas, authorised intensified joint operations, and ordered sustained deployments of security forces to communities facing recurrent attacks.
He added that Nigeria was expanding early-warning and rapid-response systems and developing a national database to provide accurate and verifiable data on deaths and casualties arising from violence, a move he said would strengthen evidence-based decision-making and accountability.
He emphasised that Nigeria’s plural identity meant the protection of Christians, Muslims and adherents of other beliefs was “non-negotiable,” adding that violence framed along religious lines was treated as an attack on the Nigerian state itself.
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While acknowledging the complexity of Nigeria’s security environment, the adviser urged that progress be assessed based on overall trends, policy decisions and institutional capacity, rather than isolated incidents.
“The bilateral relationship extended beyond security to democratic governance, the rule of law and regional stability in West Africa, and welcomed frank dialogue aimed at refining approaches and strengthening cooperation”, he noted.
Ribadu expressed appreciation to Trump and senior U.S. officials, including Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, Pete Hegseth,
Secretary of War and Keith Heffern,, Chargé d’Affaires as well as members of the U.S. Congress who had visited Nigeria or engaged Nigerian officials in Washington.
He said Nigeria remained committed to working with the United States to deliver “credible security, credible justice, and lasting protection for all communities.”
