Christmas Day Threat Alert Sparks Tension As Presidency Pushes Back
By NJORIGE LYNUS
A humanitarian group, Equipping The Persecuted, has raised alarm over an alleged plot to carry out coordinated attacks in parts of northern Nigeria on Christmas Day, triggering concern among security watchers even as the Presidency dismissed the warning as questionable.
The group’s founder, Judd Saul, disclosed the intelligence during a high-level roundtable in Washington DC, attended by US lawmakers, religious freedom officials, and Nigerian delegates. Saul claimed armed groups were regrouping around border communities linking Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue, and Kaduna states, with Riyom, Bokkos, Kafanchan and Agatu identified as potential targets.
According to Saul, the planned attacks were aimed at Christian communities during Christmas celebrations. He said his organisation had relayed the intelligence to US authorities, with a report expected to reach President Donald Trump through congressional channels.
In Nigeria, senior security officials confirmed awareness of the alert. Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) said intelligence gathering had been intensified, noting that the identified areas have a history of festive-period attacks. Past incidents in Plateau, Benue and Southern Kaduna lend weight to concerns, with several deadly assaults recorded in 2025.
However, the Presidency rejected the alarm, warning that unverified external reports could stoke fear. Presidential aide Temitope Ajayi questioned the motive behind the alert but assured Nigerians that security agencies were fully prepared to ensure a peaceful Yuletide.
