US Offers Intelligence Support, Defence Equipment to Nigeria – Presidency

By Emmanuel Kwada 

The United States has pledged enhanced intelligence support and expedited defence equipment deliveries to Nigeria, signalling a thaw in bilateral relations just weeks after President Donald Trump’s explosive threats of military intervention over alleged Christian “mass slaughter” in the West African nation.

The commitments emerged from high-level talks last week in Washington, DC, where a Nigerian delegation led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu engaged US officials to counter what Abuja described as “misconceptions” about religious violence in the country.

In a statement issued Monday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, announced that both nations agreed to activate a non-binding cooperation framework and form a Joint Working Group to coordinate efforts against terrorism and extremism.

“This includes enhanced intelligence support, expedited processing of defence equipment requests, and the potential provision of excess defence articles, subject to availability, to reinforce ongoing operations against terrorists and violent extremist groups,” Onanuga said.

The US also expressed willingness to provide humanitarian aid to vulnerable communities in Nigeria’s volatile Middle Belt and technical assistance for early-warning systems.

Ribadu’s delegation, which included Attorney General Lateef Fagbemi, Chief of Defence Staff General Olufemi Oluyede, Chief of Defence Intelligence Lieutenant General Emmanuel Undiandeye, Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, and representatives from the National Security Adviser’s office, held meetings with senior figures from the US Congress, White House Faith Office, State Department, National Security Council, and Department of War.

The talks, Onanuga noted, provided a platform to refute genocide allegations, stressing that attacks in Nigeria transcend religious and ethnic lines, impacting families indiscriminately.

“The discussions forged a constructive, solution-driven partnership with the United States, reinforced mutual trust, and advanced a coordinated approach to protecting vulnerable communities, especially in the Middle Belt,” he added. Nigeria, in turn, reaffirmed its dedication to bolstering civilian protections and addressing root causes of insecurity.

The engagements followed Trump’s mid-November outburst on Truth Social, where he branded Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom violations and vowed to halt all US aid while preparing for possible strikes.

“If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria, and may very well go into that now disgraced country, ‘guns-a-blazing,’ to completely wipe out the Islamic terrorists who are committing these horrible atrocities,” Trump wrote on November 1.

He instructed the Department of War to “prepare for possible action,” promising any response would be “fast, vicious, and sweet.”

President Tinubu swiftly rejected the claims, insisting Nigeria upholds religious tolerance and that violence stems from multifaceted threats like banditry, farmer-herder clashes, and insurgencies by groups such as Boko Haram—not targeted genocide.

The delegation’s visit, directed by Tinubu, aimed to de-escalate tensions, with Ribadu personally briefing US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and others on Nigeria’s counterterrorism strides.

“The Federal Government restates its awareness of heightened sensitivities regarding religious freedom and security, and urges citizens to remain assured that firm, urgent, and coordinated steps are being taken to secure the nation,” Onanuga concluded.