By Ireti Asemota.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has pressed Nigeria to implement “urgent and enduring” measures to halt escalating violence against Christians, during a high-stakes Pentagon meeting on Thursday, November 20, 2025, with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu and a top-tier Nigerian delegation. The closed-door talks, shielded from public schedules and press, underscore Washington’s alarm over jihadist attacks—over 7,000 Christians killed in the first seven months of 2025 alone, averaging 30 deaths daily from massacres, kidnappings, and church assaults.
Hegseth, in a Friday X post, detailed the discussions:
“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.”
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell elaborated in a statement: Hegseth called for decisive steps to “stop violence against Christians,” while pushing for deepened US-Nigeria ties to “deter and degrade terrorists that threaten the United States.” The session also involved Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, focusing on counterterrorism, security aid, and safeguarding vulnerable communities.
Trump’s Shadow: “Guns-a-Blazing” Rhetoric Fuels Urgency
The parley arrives on the heels of President Donald Trump‘s November 1, 2025, Truth Social post, where he decried Christianity’s “existential threat” in Nigeria and threatened unilateral action:
“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and… may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists.”
Hegseth’s swift reply? “Yes sir… the Department of War is preparing for action.” This echoes Trump’s reinstatement of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the International Religious Freedom Act, a label dropped under Biden and now revived amid claims of government-tolerated jihadist atrocities by groups like Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Fulani militants.
Nigeria’s administration has fired back, dismissing the “genocide” narrative as “misinformation” based on “flawed data,” insisting attacks stem from socioeconomic strife—not religious pogroms—and affect all faiths. Abuja has pledged enhanced security but rejects external intervention.
Ribadu’s DC Mission: A “Frank” Diplomatic Push
Dispatched by President Bola Tinubu, Ribadu’s delegation—landing in Washington amid the CPC firestorm—comprised heavyweights:
- Bianca Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
- Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector General of Police
- Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, Attorney General
- Gen. Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff
- Lt. Gen. Emmanuel Undiendeye, Chief of Defence Intelligence
On Wednesday, US Rep. Riley M. Moore (R-WV) hosted the group for “frank, honest, and productive” talks on counterterrorism, aid, and minority protections—building bridges even as tensions simmer.
Photos from the Pentagon show Ribadu signing documents and shaking hands with Hegseth, symbolizing a fragile thaw. As X erupts with #ChristianGenocideNG and calls for accountability, the US-Nigeria pact teeters: Cooperation or confrontation? Hegseth’s words cut clear—action now, or risk the storm.
#PeteHegseth #NigeriaChristians #TrumpNigeria #NuhuRibadu #CPCNigeria
