United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called upon the Nigerian government to implement immediate and lasting measures to stop violence targeting Christians in the West African nation. The high-level appeal came during a meeting with Nigeria's National Security Advisor, Nuhu Ribadu, at the Pentagon on Thursday.
US Demands Concrete Action
According to a statement released by Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell on Friday, Secretary Hegseth emphasized the need for both urgent and enduring action to protect Christian communities in Nigeria. The American defense chief stated that Washington seeks to collaborate with Abuja in efforts to deter and degrade terrorists that pose threats to United States interests.
The diplomatic meeting followed strong remarks from US President Donald Trump, who characterized Christianity as facing an existential threat in Nigeria. President Trump issued a stark warning that if Nigeria fails to stop the killings of Christians, the United States would respond militarily with operations he described as fast, vicious, and sweet.
Security Crisis Deepens with School Abductions
The high-level security discussions occurred against the backdrop of escalating violence in central Nigeria. Earlier on Friday, armed militants kidnapped numerous pupils and teachers from St. Mary's Catholic School in Niger state's Agwara local government area.
Local authorities confirmed that armed attackers invaded the school between 1:00 am and 3:00 am, abducting students, teachers, and a security guard who was shot during the assault. The Niger state government expressed deep sadness over the incident, noting that the exact number of abducted pupils remains unconfirmed as security agencies continue their assessment.
This latest abduction marks the second such incident in less than a week, following Monday's kidnapping of 25 schoolgirls from a secondary school in Kebbi state. The repeated attacks have prompted Katsina state to order the immediate closure of all government schools across the state as a precautionary security measure.
Complex Security Landscape
Nigeria, with its population of 230 million people, maintains a delicate religious balance with a predominantly Christian south and Muslim-majority north. The country faces multiple security challenges including:
- Jihadist insurgencies that claim both Christian and Muslim victims indiscriminately
- Frequent clashes between predominantly Muslim herders and mainly Christian farmers over land and water resources
- Intensifying attacks by criminal gangs known as bandits in northwest and central regions
Security experts note that while these conflicts often appear religiously motivated, the core issues frequently involve competition over land resources strained by population growth and climate change.
The criminal gangs operating across Nigeria's northwest have established camps in vast forest areas spanning Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Niger states. From these hideouts, they launch attacks that have resulted in thousands of deaths and numerous kidnappings for ransom over recent years.
The Nigerian government continues to reject the characterization of targeted Christian killings by radical Islamists, even as the security situation deteriorates and international pressure mounts for decisive action.
