by The Ajasa News | November 24, 2025 3:59 pm
In a calculated diplomatic offensive, the Bola Tinubu administration has moved to counter rising international pressure over allegations of targeted Christian killings in Nigeria, using high-level engagements in Washington to challenge what it describes as a “distorted narrative” shaping global perceptions of the country’s crisis.
A delegation led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu met with key U.S. power centres—including the Congress, the White House Faith Office, the State Department and the National Security Council—amid mounting calls from influential American evangelical groups urging Washington to classify violence in Nigeria as a religiously motivated campaign against Christians.
But Nigerian officials, according to Presidential Media Adviser Bayo Onanuga, went to Washington with a clear mission: to correct the record.
In a statement, Onanuga said the delegation firmly rejected the “genocide narrative,” arguing that Nigeria’s security challenges stem from a complex mix of terrorism, banditry, farmer–herder tensions and economic pressures—not a state-backed or coordinated religious purge. He warned that oversimplifying the conflict risked deepening divisions and undermining efforts to address the root causes of the violence.
Despite the sensitive backdrop, the trip yielded significant diplomatic gains. While the U.S. did not endorse the claims of systematic Christian persecution, it instead agreed to expand cooperation with Nigeria, signalling confidence in Abuja’s broader explanation of the crisis.
Washington pledged increased intelligence support, expedited processing of defence equipment, and potential access to surplus military hardware for Nigeria’s counterterrorism operations. It also offered humanitarian assistance for communities—regardless of faith—most affected by the unrest.
Both countries agreed to establish a Joint Working Group to coordinate the new cooperation framework, which will guide intelligence, military, and civilian-protection initiatives going forward. Nigeria, for its part, reaffirmed President Tinubu’s commitment to safeguarding all citizens and improving national stability.
While the global debate over religiously targeted killings is far from over, Nigeria’s diplomatic engagement marks a strategic effort to reshape international understanding of its crisis—an attempt to ensure that foreign policy decisions are driven by the country’s multifaceted reality rather than by external pressure from advocacy groups.
Source URL: https://theajasanews.com/onanuga-nigerias-washington-mission-was-clear-correct-the-record/
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