President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday held a
closed-door meeting with the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev.
Ignatius Kaigama, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
While details of the meeting have not been officially
disclosed, sources within the Presidency said it was a private visit, and the
purpose remains unconfirmed.
The meeting comes amid heightened diplomatic tension
following remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently alleged
that Christians were being persecuted in Nigeria and warned of possible American
military intervention if the killings continued.
U.S. Re-Designates Nigeria as Country of
Particular Concern
Last Friday, President Trump announced that the United
States had redesignated Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)”,
citing reports of targeted attacks on Christian communities in parts of the
country.
He also issued a stern warning to the Nigerian
government, saying it must “move fast” to address the alleged killings
or risk losing U.S. aid and security assistance.
Trump further threatened that Washington could deploy
its Department of Defense to “defend our cherished Christians” if
the situation did not improve.
Nigeria Denies Allegations, Calls for Calm
In its response, the Nigerian government
dismissed the allegations of religious persecution, insisting that Christians
and Muslims coexist peacefully across the country despite isolated
incidents of violence driven by other factors.
Government spokespersons said President Tinubu remains
calm and is expected to engage in dialogue with President Trump to clarify the
situation and strengthen bilateral relations.
“The President is calm and committed to ensuring that
Nigeria’s religious harmony is preserved,” a senior government source told
reporters, adding that Tinubu and Trump are expected to meet soon to discuss
the issue.
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