US pledges deeper security ties with Nigeria as Tinubu rebuffs trump’s ‘guns-a-blazing’ threat
The Presidency says the United States Government has signalled its readiness to ramp up security cooperation with Nigeria, offering enhanced intelligence sharing, defence equipment and technical support to strengthen ongoing operations against terrorists and violent extremist groups.
The renewed commitment follows a series of high-level meetings in Washington last week between senior US officials and a Nigerian delegation led by National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. The team met key figures across the US Congress, the White House Faith Office, the State Department, the National Security Council and the Department of War, in what officials described as a decisive push to correct misconceptions and reinforce bilateral ties.
The delegation also included Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi; Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lieutenant-General Emmanuel Undiandeye; Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; and representatives of the Office of the National Security Adviser.
According to Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, the Nigerian officials used the engagements to debunk claims of genocide in Nigeria, insisting that violent attacks cut across religious and ethnic lines and should not be framed as sectarian warfare. They warned that such narratives were not only false but dangerous, capable of dividing the country and misrepresenting realities on the ground.
Onanuga said the talks “corrected several misconceptions, built a solution-driven partnership with the United States, strengthened mutual trust, and advanced a coordinated approach to protecting vulnerable communities, especially in the Middle Belt.” He added that Washington also expressed willingness to provide humanitarian support to affected populations and technical assistance to improve early-warning systems.
Both sides agreed to immediately activate a non-binding cooperation framework and set up a Joint Working Group to coordinate the new security partnership. Nigeria, for its part, reaffirmed its commitment to stronger civilian protection and a more transparent approach to security operations.
The statement comes just weeks after former US President Donald Trump threatened to send American forces into Nigeria “guns-a-blazing” over what he described as mass killings of Christians. In a fiery post on Truth Social, Trump labelled Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” and warned that US aid would be halted if the government failed to act. He went further, saying he had instructed America’s Department of War to prepare for potential military action, promising any strike would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.”
President Bola Tinubu firmly rejected Trump’s claims, insisting Nigeria remains committed to religious freedom and maintains no policy or practice that encourages persecution of Christians or any religious group.