US Urges Nigeria to Strengthen Protection for Christians

coordination between US AFRICOM and Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters as well as sustained engagement across Nigeria secu­rity institutions.

Ribadu said the engagements had also strengthened joint plan­ning, and enabled more effective disruption of terrorist networks and transnational criminal ele­ments.

He said Nigeria appreciates the depth, quality and impact of US-Nigeria military and security cooperation since the November 2025 engagements.

“This cooperation has trans­lated into tangible operational gains,” Ribadu said.

“It has materially strength­ened our counter-terrorism pos­ture and situational awareness across multiple theatres of oper­ation” Ribadu said.

The NSA said the engage­ments had moved decisively be­yond dialogue to action and had supported improved target iden­tification and operational fidelity.

He further revealed that the efforts have resulted in the neu­tralisation of many terrorists, the destruction of logistics hubs, and the interception of key facil­itators and logisticians.

He commended the US com­mitment to the timely delivery of outstanding articles of war such as drones, helicopters, platforms, spare parts, and associated sup­port systems procured over the past five years.

Ribadu said the cooperation had been conducted with respect for Nigeria’s sovereignty, within agreed frameworks, and with a clear emphasis on joint opera­tions, accountability and the pro­tection of civilians.

He acknowledged the serious­ness of the security situation in Nige­ria and said authorities were intensi­fying military and law enforcement operations in affected areas.

He maintained that violence framed along religious lines was unacceptable and would be con­fronted decisively.

“Nigeria is a deeply plural so­ciety, and the protection of all cit­izens—Christians, Muslims and those of other beliefs is non-ne­gotiable,” Ribadu said, describing such attacks as assaults on the Ni­gerian state itself.

He said the government’s re­sponse combined security opera­tions with the rule of law, human­itarian safeguards and strategic communication to ensure that gains on the ground translated into public confidence and stron­ger social cohesion.

Ribadu also disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had authorised expanded securi­ty deployments, improved intel­ligence coordination and more robust investigations into attacks on religious communities.

According to him, these mea­sures include intensified joint operations in high-risk areas, enhanced early-warning and rapid-response systems, and the development of a national da­tabase to provide accurate data on deaths and casualties arising from violence.

“These directives have been matched with concrete action,” he said, adding that investiga­tions and prosecutions linked to attacks on religious groups had been stepped up to ensure that violence was met not only with force, but with justice and ac­countability.