The United States has called on Nigeria to “do more to protect Christians” following a mass abduction at multiple churches in Kaduna state, as a high-level security meeting took place in Abuja on Thursday.
Allison Hooker, State Department under secretary for political affairs and the highest-ranking US official to visit Nigeria under the Trump administration, highlighted the kidnapping of over 170 people from several churches. She said the Nigerian government must ensure that Christians can freely and safely practise their faith.
However, Hooker’s remarks did not mention Muslim victims of violence, drawing attention to a growing concern over the US framing of insecurity in Nigeria as primarily targeting Christians.
The attack in Kaduna, blamed on armed gangs known as “bandits,” is part of a broader pattern of violence in the country. Nigeria faces multiple security challenges: bandit gangs in the northwest conduct kidnappings for ransom, a jihadist insurgency in the northeast has killed both Muslims and Christians since 2009, and central Nigeria sees clashes between Christian farmers and Muslim Fulani herders over resources.
Hooker’s comments also referenced the 2025 abduction of more than 250 students from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger state, inaccurately claiming all victims were Christian, though some abducted students were Muslim.
“We have Muslims amongst them,” said Daniel Atori, spokesman for the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger state.
US priorities during the Abuja meeting included countering terrorism, investigating attacks, holding perpetrators accountable, and reducing killings, displacements, and abductions of Christians, particularly in north-central Nigeria.
The Nigerian government continues to grapple with overlapping security threats while managing international pressure on its handling of religiously targeted attacks.
