'We wan see di end of dis kain violence' - US tell Nigeria afta kidnap of over 150 Churchgoers for Kaduna

Di US govment don tok say Nigeria must to do more to stop di violence against Christians for di kontri, following di tori of di kidnap of more dan 170 pipo from three churches for Kaduna State.

Di Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker tok dis one for di first meeting of di US-Nigeria Joint Working Group to address adding of Nigeria to di list of kontri of particular concern by di Donald Trump administration.

Dat meeting bin hapun for Abuja on Thursday wit di National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu in attendance plus oda top oga dem including di Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and di Minister of Information Mohammed Idris.

Hooker say di meeting na to discuss how di two kontris go fit work togeda to discourage di violence against Christian communities, investigate di attacks against dem and hold di perpetrators accountable, in oda to reduce di numba of killings, forced displacements, and abductions of Christians.

She point out say true-true di Nigeria govment don make some progress especially wit di recent release of 38 Christians wey jaguda pipo bin kidnap from dia church for Kwara State, and anoda 265 wey dem bin abduct from St. Mary's Catholic School for Niger State.

"Dis real progress na direct result of our engagement wit di Nigerian govment and our partnership" Hooker tok.

Howeva, di US envoy add say "we dey concerned about recent reports say gunmen kidnap more dan 170 Christians for Kaduna State on January 18. We want to see an end to dis type of violence", she tok, adding say di US and di Nigeria govments go work togeda "wit di goal of protecting Christians and dia right to practise dia faith freely and safely".

"We dey call for di govment to work wit di local authorities to find and secure di release of di innocent victims and to work wit NGOs to meet di victims' families' needs in di meantime."

BBC News Pidgin report on Thursday how di villagers of Kurmin Wali wia di kidnapping bin hapun for Kaduna State, accuse di authorities of cover up as police bin first deny say di kidnapping hapun.

For im response, di NSA Nuhu Ribadu say di Tinubu-administration dey committed to make sure say all citizens of Nigeria dey safe.

"Nigeria na deeply plural society, and di protection of all citizens, Christians, Muslims, and dose of oda beliefs, dey non-negotiable. We dey treat violence framed along religious lines as attack on di Nigerian state," Ribadu tok.

E also tok say di response of govment include security operations, di rule of law, humanitarian safeguards, and strategic communication, to make sure say di public go get confidence for wetin govment dey do and unity go dey strengthened.

Ribadu say e dey important to measure progress not by isolated incidents wey happen witin complex security environment, but rada to consider di overall direction of travel, di decisions taken at di highest level of govment, and di institutional capacity being built to prevent, respond to, and punish violence whereva e hapun.

Remember say US President Donald Trump bin declare Nigeria as a kontri of particular concern for October 2025, as e tok say dem dey kpai Christians anyhow for di kontri.

"Christianity dey face existential threat for Nigeria. Dem dey kill thousands of Christians. Radical Islamists dey responsible for dis mass slaughter," Trump tok dat time, as e threaten say im go send di US military to Nigeria if di situation continue.

But di Nigeria govment reject di accuse and say di insecurity wey di kontri dey face no be only Christians e dey affect.

Since den, Nigeria don dey send high-powered delegates to di US to tok wit di govment and assure dem say efforts dey on to stop di killings.

On Christmas Day of 2025, Trump approve airstrikes for parts of Sokoto State, for di northwest region of Nigeria, for areas wia a group of terrorists called Lakurawa dey stay.

But di Nigeria govment say di operation na joint effort betwin di military of di two kontris.