Following United States President Donald Trump’s threat to deploy American troops to Nigeria to confront alleged anti-Christian violence, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu met on Thursday with U.S. Defence Secretary, Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine.
According to ABC News, the meeting, which was confirmed by two U.S. defence officials, was not listed on either Hegseth or Caine’s public schedules.
Ribadu’s arrival at the Pentagon, headquarters of the U.S Department of Defence, was also closed to the media, underscoring the sensitivity of the discussions.
On 1 November, Trump ordered the Pentagon to prepare for rapid military action in Nigeria if Abuja failed to curb the alleged killings of Christians.
In the post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump warned: ‘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’.
He added that any action would be ‘fast, vicious, and sweet’. In a swift reply, Hegseth wrote: ‘Yes sir… the Department of War is preparing for action’.
The issue has gained significant traction within conservative political circles in the U.S., including support from lawmakers like Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Riley Moore.
Nigeria has dismissed the renewed U.S. designation of the country as a ‘Country of Particular Concern’, calling the allegation that its government allows religious persecution ‘misinformation’ rooted in flawed data.
Ribadu’s meeting with top U.S. defence chiefs signalled an attempt to ease diplomatic strain as Nigeria pushes back against Washington’s escalating rhetoric which has potential security implications.
