Hegseth Pursues Trump Persecution Claim With Nigerian Official

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth met a top Nigerian security official to reinforce the Trump administration’s claim that Christians in the West African country have been singled out for “horrific violence.”

“Under @POTUS leadership, DOW is working aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists,” Hegseth said in a post on X Friday, using the acronym for Department of War, as the administration calls it.

Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, a Muslim whose wife is a Christian pastor, has said he is committed to working with the US and international community to protect all faiths.

Photographer: Benson Ibeabuchi/Bloomberg

Hegseth, according to a Defense Department statement, met at the Pentagon on Thursday with Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s national security adviser, and “discussed ways to make tangible progress on stopping violence ...