Pete Hegseth, United States Defence Secretary, has urged the Nigerian government to take urgent and sustained action to halt escalating attacks on Christian communities.
Hegseth delivered the message during a meeting with Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), at the Pentagon on Thursday.
According to the U.S. Department of Defence, the engagement formed part of a broader diplomatic push following increasingly strong statements from top American officials in recent weeks.
In a post on his X handle on Friday, Hegseth said he met Ribadu and his delegation to review the “horrific violence against Christians” in Nigeria, stressing that the U.S. government, under President Donald Trump, is working “aggressively” with Abuja to curb the threat posed by jihadist groups.
“Under @POTUS leadership, DOW is working aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists,” Hegseth said.
Sean Parnell, Pentagon spokesman reinforced this position in an official statement, noting that the Defence Secretary urged Nigeria to take both “urgent and enduring action” to stop the killings.
Washington, he added, is seeking deeper counterterrorism cooperation with Abuja “to deter and degrade terrorists that threaten the United States.”
The meeting comes on the heels of Donald Trump’s recent remarks alleging that Christianity in Nigeria faces an “existential threat.”
The U.S. President warned that if Abuja fails to halt the violence, he could order the deployment of American troops to Nigeria, a comment that has stirred diplomatic debate.
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Meanwhile, Riley Moore, U.S. Congressman revealed that he also held talks with the Nigerian delegation on Wednesday night in Washington, DC.
Moore described the discussions as “frank, honest, and productive,” noting that they focused on counterterrorism collaboration, security assistance, and the protection of vulnerable communities.
Nigeria’s delegation to the talks was led by Ribadu and included Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector General of Police, Lateef Fagbemi, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff, and Emmanuel Undiendeye, Chief of Defence Intelligence.
