A humanitarian organisation, Equipping The Persecuted, has raised the alarm over an alleged plan by armed groups to carry out coordinated attacks on several communities in Northern Nigeria on Christmas Day.
The warning, however, drew a swift reaction from the Presidency, which questioned the credibility of the alert and cautioned that such claims could generate unnecessary fear among the public.
The organisation’s founder, Judd Saul, disclosed the alleged plot during a roundtable meeting convened by the International Committee on Nigeria and the African Jewish Alliance in Washington DC, United States. The meeting was chaired by former United States congressman, Frank Wolf.
Participants at the meeting included US Congressmen Riley Moore and Chris Smith, Senator James Lankford, members of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, and representatives from Nigeria.
Saul alleged that armed groups were regrouping around border communities in Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue and Kaduna states in preparation for attacks during the Christmas celebration. He specifically mentioned Riyom, Bokkos, Kafanchan and Agatu as potential targets.
According to him, intelligence obtained by his organisation indicated preparations for what he described as a large scale massacre, urging the Nigerian and United States governments to take urgent action.
Sources familiar with the meeting said Saul had officially transmitted the intelligence to US authorities through Congressman Riley Moore, adding that a report would be forwarded to President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, a senior officer of the Department of State Services in Abuja confirmed that the agency was aware of the reported threat and had commenced preventive measures.
Another DSS operative noted that communities in parts of the Middle Belt often experience attacks during festive periods, stressing that intelligence gathering had been intensified nationwide.
Riyom and Bokkos areas of Plateau State, as well as Agatu in Benue State, have recorded multiple deadly attacks in 2025, with dozens of residents killed in separate incidents.
