A humanitarian organization, Equipping The Persecuted, issued a warning about a scheme by terrorists to kill a large number of people in northern regions on Christmas Day.
However, the presidency quickly questioned the group’s motives, claiming that the notice was questionable and could cause unwarranted panic among Nigerians.
The organization’s founder, Judd Saul, presented in a roundtable meeting hosted by the International Committee on Nigeria and the African Jewish Alliance.
Frank Wolf, a former congressman, convened the conference, which took place on Wednesday in Washington, DC, USA.
It was gathered that the meeting was also attended by Congressmen Riley Moore and Chris Smith, Senator James Lankford, and members of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, alongside some Nigerian delegation.
Saul stated that terrorists had started regrouping for the planned attacks.
He said, “They are gathering forces around the Plateau and Nasarawa border, along the Nasarawa-Benue border, and along the Nasarawa-Kaduna border. They are planning to hit on Christmas Day in Riyom, Bokkos, Kafanchan, and Agatu.
“We got very reliable information that they are weaponizing for a Christmas Day massacre. I am imploring the Nigerian government and President Donald Trump to do something so we don’t have a bunch of dead Christians in Nigeria.”
The meeting, according to reports, was among a series of deliberations to resolve the insecurity in Nigeria and address concerns of the alleged killing of Christians.
A source close to the US government stated that Saul had officially communicated the said report his organization got to the government through Moore.
“All the congressmen at the meeting have been to Nigeria many times. They’ve been involved in this matter since (Bill) Clinton was president. They classified the attackers mostly as terrorists and jihadists. Saul has officially notified the US through Riley, who will be filing a report to President Trump on it,” the source said.
It was also revealed that following the meeting where Saul spoke, a subsequent closed-door meeting was convened for further consideration.
The meeting was conducted behind closed doors.
A top officer from the Department of State Services in Abuja acknowledged that the agency was aware of the planned attacks on Christmas Day and had taken preventative steps.
“The service is aware; we have the intelligence report, and we are already working on it,” the officer stated.
Another operative of the secret service mentioned that the DSS had intensified its intelligence-gathering efforts nationwide.
“We know the trend of attacks in those areas. I was in Kaduna for over two years, and I can tell you that these people (bandits) have a pattern. We (DSS) have always provided intelligence. The intelligence report by the US NGO may be correct, because communities in the Middle Belt have always come under attack during festive periods.
“But I am sure the service would also have gotten wind of any planned attack by the bandits, and preventive measures would have been put in place,” he said.
In 2025, terrorists attacked Riyom and Bokkos in Plateau State on multiple occasions.
On October 31, bandits targeted the Kwi village in Riyom, killing at least six people.
There was also a violent attack on Jebu village in the Tahoss District of the same local government, which killed at least 32 people, including women and children.
Between June 19 and 21, gunmen attacked the Juwan and Manja villages in Bokkos and the neighboring Mangu local government areas, killing around 13 people.
It was gathered that many attacks on communities in the two local government areas remain unreported.
This year, communities in the Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State have also been targeted by terrorists, killing dozens.
The deadliest incident happened on June 1 in the Edikwu Ankpali and Opaha settlements, where 28 persons, mostly Christians, were slaughtered.
Earlier in November, a pastor was killed and three others kidnapped in Anwule village, near the Agatu-Ohimini boundary.
Also, earlier last month, suspected Fulani herders reportedly raided Chawai settlements near Kafanchan in Southern Kaduna, killing an unknown number of people and displacing many more.
