By Emmanuel Kwada
Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, met U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine in a closed-door session at the Pentagon on Friday evening, officials confirmed.
The unannounced meeting comes against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s recent threats of possible U.S. military intervention in Nigeria over ongoing violence against Christian communities.
The meeting was not listed on the public schedules of either Hegseth or Caine, and Ribadu’s arrival was kept away from the press, two U.S. defense officials told reporters. No official readout has been released, and neither the Nigerian nor U.S. side has publicly commented on the substance of the discussions.
The high-level engagement follows President Trump’s November 1 social-media warning that the United States could halt all aid to Nigeria and launch military operations “guns-a-blazing” to “to completely wipe out the Islamic Terrorists” if Abuja failed to stop what he described as the systematic killing of Christians. Secretary Hegseth replied publicly, “Yes sir … the Department of War is preparing for action.”
Nigeria has strongly rejected U.S. accusations of religious persecution, with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration dismissing the State Department’s renewed designation of Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” as based on “misinformation” and flawed data.
Independent monitors, however, continue to document thousands of civilian deaths annually in the country’s long-running conflict with jihadist groups and farmer-herder clashes that affect both Christian and Muslim communities.
Sources familiar with the talks described the session as an opportunity for “frank conversations” aimed at strengthening bilateral security cooperation and addressing U.S. concerns about the protection of religious minorities.
Nigeria has signalled increased willingness to deepen military ties with U.S. Africa Command, particularly in intelligence-sharing and counter-terrorism training, in the wake of the president’s statements.
The meeting highlights a delicate diplomatic balancing act: Abuja seeks to avoid escalation while Washington, under the second Trump administration, has made the protection of global Christian communities a foreign-policy priority.
No further meetings have been announced, but officials on both sides described Friday’s discussions as “constructive.”
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Let us agree that the federal government is unable to carry out its primary constitutional duty, why not just change the law on firearm, let every one own a firearm to protect his or her life and those of their family and loved ones. When Buhari’s administration initiated a recall of all licences fire arm I saw this playing out “disarm and conquer”, on the flip side it is ironic that the same Bokoham insurgents, “Repentant” under Buhari were incorporated into the Nigerian army, and all military formations now have a ranch for the Fulani cattle herds.