President Bola Tinubu is expected to meet with his United States (US) counterpart, Donald Trump, following recent claims of widespread attacks on Christians in Nigeria.
The development comes amid rising tensions prompted by Trump’s threat of possible US military action against Nigeria over what he described as "Christian genocide."
Announcing the planned meeting in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, disclosed the talks would take place "in the coming days."
According to Bwala, both leaders are committed to combating terrorism and insurgency, adding that the US has long supported Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts.
"President Trump has assisted Nigeria a lot by authorising the sale of arms to Nigeria, and President Tinubu has adequately utilised the opportunity in the fight against terrorism, for which we have massive results to show," Bwala said.
He added that the two presidents would address differing perceptions about whether extremist attacks in Nigeria specifically target Christians or cut across all faiths.
"Both President Bola Tinubu and President Donald Trump have shared interests in the fight against insurgency and all forms of terrorism against humanity.
"As for the differences as to whether terrorists in Nigeria target only Christians or in fact all faiths and no faiths, the differences, if they exist, would be discussed and resolved by the two leaders when they meet in the coming days, either in the State House or White House," he said.
Trump’s comments, which triggered international attention, were made on Saturday in a post on his Truth Social platform.
He accused the Nigerian government of allowing the killing of Christians and directed the US Department of War, recently renamed from the Department of Defense, to "prepare for possible action."
"I am hereby instructing our Department of War to prepare for possible action. If we attack, it will be fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our CHERISHED Christians! WARNING: THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT BETTER MOVE FAST!" he wrote
He further claimed that Nigeria would be added to the State Department’s list of "Countries of Particular Concern," which monitors global religious persecution.
While neither government has confirmed the exact date or venue of the meeting, diplomatic sources suggest discussions could take place either at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja or the White House in Washington.
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