U.S. congressman warns Nigeria to show ‘tangible steps’ on protecting Christians after high-level security meeting

US Congressman Riley M. Moore has warned that Nigeria must demonstrate “tangible steps” to protect Christian communities, following a closed-door meeting on Wednesday with a high-ranking Nigerian delegation led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.

The meeting, held in Washington, came amid longstanding tensions over religiously motivated attacks in Nigeria’s Northeast and Middle Belt, where extremist groups and armed militias have carried out repeated assaults on villages and churches.

Moore also said the United States is willing to deepen security cooperation with Nigeria, but insisted that progress must be measurable before Congress will support any expanded partnership.

“I made it crystal clear that the United States must see tangible steps to ensure that Christians are not subject to violence, persecution, displacement and death,” Moore said after the meeting.

The congressman said extremist groups such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, along with armed Fulani militias, continue to pose a significant threat to civilians. He added that Washington expects Abuja to adopt more assertive strategies to protect at-risk communities.

Nigerian officials briefed Moore on the country’s counterterrorism efforts, the operational pressures facing security agencies and the difficulty of managing multiple conflict hotspots. They also discussed wider security assistance and intelligence coordination.

Moore also signalled strong political backing in Washington for action on religious persecution, invoking former President Donald Trump’s stance on the issue. He said Trump and Congress are “serious in our resolve to end the violence against Christians and disrupt and destroy terrorist groups within Nigeria”.

The meeting is one of the highest-level engagements between U.S. lawmakers and the Nigerian security establishment since renewed debates in Washington over human-rights conditions and military cooperation with Nigeria.

The Nigerian delegation included:

• Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser and head of delegation
• Bianca Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs
• Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector General of Police
• Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, Attorney General of the Federation
• Gen. Olufemi Olatunbosun Oluyede, Chief of Defence Staff
• Lt. Gen. E.A.P. Undiendeye, Chief of Defence Intelligence
• Idayat Hassan, Special Adviser to the Office of the NSA
• Ambassador Ibrahim Babani, Director of Foreign Relations, ONSA
• Ambassador Nuru Biu, Acting Chargé d’Affaires, Embassy of Nigeria
• Paul Alabi, Political and Economic Section, Embassy of Nigeria