How Ribadu’s US Exile Shaped Nigeria’s Response to Washington’s Christian-Genocide Claims

After Muslim worshippers, including my relatives, were abducted from Kpenya Mosque in Borgu, I was reminded that Nigeria’s security crisis cannot honestly be reduced to a story of Muslims targeting Christians. Terrorists, bandits and kidnappers have attacked Nigerians of different faiths across the country. I argue that facts alone did not weaken the Christian-genocide narrative in Washington. National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu’s experience in the United States appears to have helped him understand how to engage Congress, religious-freedom groups, lobbyists and executive agencies when the Trump administration escalated pressure on Nigeria. Ribadu’s meetings with US officials and the Nigerian government’s lobbying efforts helped shift the tone from threats of confrontation towards security cooperation. However, diplomatic gains will mean little if they do not improve safety for ordinary Nigerians. The immediate test is the rescue of those abducted in Borgu and stronger protection for communities facing rising attacks. Nigeria’s international partnerships must translate into real security for people in places such as Borgu, Benue, Plateau, Zamfara, Katsina, Borno, Niger and Kwara.

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