A humanitarian group, Equipping The Persecuted, has raised concerns over an alleged plan to carry out coordinated attacks in parts of northern Nigeria on Christmas Day, a claim the Presidency has swiftly played down as questionable and potentially fear-inducing.
The warning was issued by the organisation’s founder, Judd Saul, during a roundtable meeting organised by the International Committee on Nigeria and the African Jewish Alliance. The event, held on Wednesday in Washington DC, was chaired by former US congressman Frank Wolf and attended by Congressmen Riley Moore and Chris Smith, Senator James Lankford, members of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, and a Nigerian delegation.
According to Saul, armed groups were regrouping along several border areas, including Plateau–Nasarawa, Nasarawa–Benue and Nasarawa–Kaduna, with plans to strike communities on Christmas Day.
“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,” he said.
“We got very reliable information that they are weaponising 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.”
“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,” a source said, according to Saturday PUNCH.
It was also gathered that further deliberations took place at a closed-door meeting after the public session, though details were not made public.
Meanwhile, a senior official of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abuja confirmed that the agency was aware of the alleged plot and had begun taking precautionary steps.
“The service is aware; we have the intelligence report and we are already working on it,” the officer said.
Another DSS operative noted that intelligence-gathering efforts had been intensified nationwide, adding that attacks in parts of the Middle Belt often follow a pattern during festive periods.
“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,” he said.
He added, “But I am sure the service would also have got wind of any planned attack by the bandits, and preventive measures would have been put in place.”
Riyom and Bokkos local government areas in Plateau State have witnessed repeated attacks this year. On October 31, gunmen killed at least six people in Kwi community, Riyom. In another incident, no fewer than 32 residents, including women and infants, were killed in Jebu village, Tahoss District. Between June 19 and 21, about 13 people were killed in attacks on Juwan and Manja communities in Bokkos and neighbouring Mangu council areas.
Similarly, Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State has recorded multiple attacks in 2025, with dozens reportedly killed. The deadliest occurred on June 1 in Edikwu Ankpali and Opaha communities, where at least 28 people were killed. Earlier in November, a pastor was killed and three others abducted near the Agatu–Ohimini border.
In Southern Kaduna, suspected Fulani herdsmen reportedly attacked Chawai communities near Kafanchan last month, killing several residents and displacing many others.
Presidency dismisses alert
Reacting to the development, the Presidency questioned the credibility and motive of the organisation behind the alert. Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, cautioned Nigerians against amplifying unverified reports.
“We should be very careful how we digest and process some of these doubtful reports by external organisations who are setting a stage for internal crisis in our country. We should not be providing oxygen for reports that heighten a sense of insecurity in our country,” Ajayi said.
He further queried the intention behind the warning, asking, “What is the motive and agenda of this organisation in raising this kind of alarm about a likely terror attack in the three states and on Christmas Day?”
Ajayi, however, reassured Nigerians of the readiness of security agencies, saying, “Whatever the motive is, our security forces are capable of foiling any terror attack and keeping us safe. Nigerians should not entertain any fear in any part of the country. The police and the military are working to ensure we have a peaceful Christmas and Yuletide season.”