The United States has affirmed its commitment to partnering with Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, after a high-level security meeting at the Pentagon last Thursday, November 20.

The meeting, hosted by Pete Hegseth, US secretary of war, was attended by a delegation of security leaders from Nigeria led by Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA).

Their meeting took place the same day the US congress deliberated on allegations of Christian persecution in Nigeria. According to a readout issued by Sean Parnell, assistant to the US Secretary of War for public affairs, both countries discussed ways to make “tangible progress on stopping violence against Christians in Nigeria and combatting West African jihadist terrorist groups”.

“Secretary Hegseth emphasised the need for Nigeria to demonstrate commitment and take both urgent and enduring action to stop violence against Christians and conveyed the Department’s desire to work by, with, and through Nigeria to deter and degrade terrorists that threaten the United States,” the statement reads.

US President Donald Trump had threatened to instruct the Department of War to send troops into Nigeria with “guns-a-blazing” to “wipe out the Islamic Terrorists” whom he said were killing Christians. Ribadu, on the directives of President Bola Tinubu, led a high-level delegation to the US on the matter.

The delegation comprised Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu; Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun; Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Olufemi Oluyede.

The team had also met with Riley Moore, a member of the US House of Representatives, in Washington, who has been very vocal in condemning rising insecurity in Nigeria.