Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, on Monday convened an emergency meeting with service chiefs and heads of security and intelligence agencies following reports that U.S. President Donald Trump had directed preparations for possible military action in Nigeria.
The high-level meeting, held at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Abuja, focused on assessing the implications of Trump’s remarks and coordinating a unified national security and diplomatic response.
According to top security sources, discussions centered on intelligence evaluation and potential diplomatic fallout from Trump’s recent comments accusing the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christians from extremist attacks.
Trump, speaking via his Truth Social account on Saturday, claimed that the U.S. military was being “prepared to act in Nigeria to tackle Islamist militancy,” a declaration that has since triggered widespread anxiety in Abuja and among international observers.
However, several independent monitoring organizations have noted that both Christians and Muslims have been victims of terrorism, banditry, and communal conflicts in Nigeria — with no verified evidence of religiously targeted persecution as alleged by Trump.
Sources familiar with the meeting said Ribadu urged calm, stressing that Nigeria remains committed to protecting all citizens irrespective of faith.
“Nigeria will not be drawn into unnecessary panic. The security of every citizen—Christian or Muslim—is equally important to us,” one senior official quoted the NSA as saying.
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) is expected to release an official statement outlining the government’s position and next steps in response to Trump’s remarks in the coming days.
