Nigeria Treats Religious Violence as an Attack on the State, Says NSA Ribadu

Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has declared that the federal government considers any violence framed along religious lines as a direct attack on the nation itself. He emphasized that the protection of all citizens, irrespective of faith, is non-negotiable.

Ribadu made these remarks on Thursday in Abuja at the closing session of a Nigeria-United States joint working group meeting. The high-level session was attended by delegations from both countries, including representatives from ten Nigerian ministries and agencies and eight U.S. federal agencies.

“Nigeria is a deeply plural society, and the protection of all citizens—Christians, Muslims, and those of other beliefs—is non-negotiable,” Ribadu stated. “Violence framed along religious lines is treated as an attack on the Nigerian state itself.”

The joint working group was established following the U.S. designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) under the Trump administration, a label applied to nations accused of severe violations of religious freedom.

Ribadu reported that the collaboration has yielded “tangible operational gains” in counter-terrorism efforts. He noted that security engagements have progressed “beyond words to action,” resulting in the effective disruption of terrorist networks and transnational criminal elements. The NSA also thanked the U.S. government for the delivery of critical defense assets, including drones, helicopters, and support systems, over the past five years.

Leading the U.S. delegation, Under-Secretary of State Allison Hooker stated that the meeting aimed to broaden the partnership on shared security interests. A key focus was addressing violence against Christian communities.

“Today, we are here to discuss how we can work together to deter violence against Christian communities, prioritising counter-terrorism, insecurity, investigating attacks and holding perpetrators accountable,” Hooker said. She specifically highlighted the goal of reducing killings, forced displacements, and abductions targeting Christians, particularly in Nigeria’s north-central states.