The federal government says a high-level Nigerian delegation and senior United States officials have reached new agreements aimed at addressing Nigeria’s persistent security challenges.
A delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, met last week with key officials in the US Congress, the White House Faith Office, the State Department, the National Security Council and the Department of War over allegations of Christian genocide in Nigeria.
Providing details of the engagements, presidential media aide Bayo Onanuga said the discussions strengthened security ties between both countries and opened additional channels of cooperation to enhance the protection of Nigerian citizens.
He said the Nigerian team firmly refuted claims of genocide, stressing that violent attacks in the country affect communities across religious and ethnic divides.
“The delegation strongly rejected wrongful framing of the situation, saying such would only divide Nigerians and distort the realities on the ground,” he noted.
Onanuga added that the US government expressed readiness to deepen security collaboration, including enhanced intelligence sharing, expedited processing of defence equipment requests and the possible provision of excess defence articles to support ongoing operations against terrorists and violent extremist groups.
He further stated that the US also indicated willingness to offer humanitarian assistance to affected communities in the Middle Belt and provide technical support for early-warning systems.
Both sides agreed to immediately roll out a non-binding cooperation framework and establish a Joint Working Group to coordinate implementation of the agreed areas of partnership.
According to Onanuga, Nigeria also reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening measures that protect civilians during security operations.
