By Seyi Odewale
Nigeria’s bid to secure heightened international support against terrorism gained fresh traction on Sunday as senior members of the United States Congress held security talks with National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu in Abuja. At the same time, French President Emmanuel Macron publicly pledged stronger security assistance to Nigeria.
Ribadu, in an official update shared on his verified X account, disclosed that he received a US Congressional delegation visiting Nigeria on a fact-finding mission. The engagement follows earlier meetings held in Washington, D.C., on shared security priorities.
The visiting lawmakers included Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart, Norma Torres, Scott Franklin, Juan Ciscomani and Riley Moore, a list Ribadu also released on X.
The NSA said discussions focused on counter-terrorism collaboration, improving regional stability, strengthening intelligence partnerships, and building on the security commitments reached during previous high-level talks in the United States.
The US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, attended the session, a detail Ribadu also revealed through his social media update.
According to him, the presence of the ambassador underscores the strategic value both nations place on sustained defence cooperation.
The meeting comes amid strained diplomatic winds following US President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged religious persecution.
Nigeria has consistently rejected the claim, and the Federal Government has maintained that victims of insecurity cut across religious lines.
Notwithstanding the diplomatic tension, defence cooperation has continued.
Ribadu’s November 20 meeting with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon—a development made public through official government communication—centred on coordinated counter-terrorism strategies.
President Bola Tinubu later approved the Nigerian composition of the US–Nigeria Joint Working Group, a bilateral mechanism also announced through official government channels.
As engagements with Washington intensified, France also moved to strengthen its ties with Nigeria.
*Macron pledges stronger aid
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron, in a public statement posted on his verified X account, revealed that he held a telephone conversation with President Tinubu and expressed France’s solidarity in the face of intensifying terrorist threats in northern Nigeria.
Macron stated that France will “strengthen our partnership with the authorities and our support for the affected populations,” adding that global actors must not remain indifferent.
“No one can remain a spectator,” the French leader wrote, calling for increased international commitment to stabilising Nigeria.
Macron’s remarks come as Nigeria grapples with escalating violence, including killings in Kebbi and Kwara States and the mass abductions of students at Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, and St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State.
On November 26, President Tinubu declared a nationwide security emergency, a decision communicated through official State House channels, and ordered accelerated recruitment into the armed forces and police.
With both Washington and Paris signalling deeper engagement, each disclosed through authoritative and verifiable public sources, Nigeria’s diplomatic push is gaining momentum at a time when its internal security challenges demand unprecedented international cooperation.
*FG secures release of 100 abducted Catholic school students in Niger State
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has reportedly secured the release of 100 schoolchildren abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area, Niger State.
Bandits on 21 November 2025, attacked the school in the remote community of Papiri.
Arriving around 2 am on motorbikes, the gunmen stormed the school dormitories over three hours, abducting 315 people—303 students and 12 teachers.
Security forces and community hunters were deployed to comb nearby forests for the abductees.
In the immediate aftermath, 50 pupils escaped within the first day and were reunited with their families.
However, 265 individuals, including 253 children and all 12 teachers, remained in captivity.
The Federal Government responded by imposing a 24-hour security cordon and launching aerial surveillance across parts of Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States.
President Bola Tinubu cancelled planned international travel to address the crisis.
Authorities also ordered the indefinite closure of all schools in Niger State and many federal institutions in high-risk regions.
Security forces launched search operations, imposing a 24-hour cordon and aerial surveillance across Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States.
The government has yet to disclose details of the negotiation or operation that led to the release.
Security agencies continue efforts to rescue remaining captives and restore safety in affected communities.
