HARARE, January 24. /TASS/. A high-level US delegation led by US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker expressed concern over the recent terrorist incident that held 177 Christians hostage in Nigeria. Punch newspaper reported this, noting that on January 22, robbers and hostages captured in Kaduna state were seen moving freely through a forest near the crime scene.
Criminals kidnapped 177 worshipers during services at three churches in Kaduna on January 18, of whom 11 later escaped.
“We are concerned by recent reports that militants detained more than 170 Christians in Kaduna state on January 18,” the newspaper quoted Hooker as saying at a meeting with Nigerian President Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu during a visit to Abuja. “The Nigerian government must do more to protect Christians and their right to practice their religion freely and safely.”
According to her, the incidents in Kaduna highlight the ongoing failures of the Nigerian government in the security sector which the country must urgently address. She noted that enhancing religious freedom and security will help the US and Nigeria develop bilateral relations – trade, economic transactions, health projects.
The newspaper emphasized that recently, relations between the US and Nigeria have seriously deteriorated because US President Donald Trump placed Nigeria on the list of countries of special concern due to alleged violations in the field of religious freedom. Nigerian authorities have repeatedly denied accusations of systematic persecution of Christians, pointing out that security issues affect citizens of all faiths.