The National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, on Monday met with service chiefs and heads of security and intelligence agencies at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Abuja, following reports of a directive by U.S. President Donald Trump to prepare for possible military action in Nigeria.
According to Zagazola Makama, a security source disclosed the emergency meeting is aimed at assessing the implications of Trump’s statement accusing the Nigerian government of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militant groups.
Trump’s remarks, made on Saturday, alleged that the U.S. military was being prepared to “act in Nigeria to tackle Islamist militancy” a statement that has triggered widespread concern across diplomatic and security circles in Abuja.
According to the source, the NSA convened the session to coordinate a unified national security response and review intelligence assessments on the potential fallout of the U.S. president’s pronouncement.
Trump did not specify which killings he was referring to, though claims of a “genocide against Christians” in Nigeria have been circulating in some right-wing U.S. circles in recent months.
The outcome of the meeting is expected to be communicated through official channels from the Office of the National Security Adviser.
