A humanitarian organisation, Equipping The Persecuted, has raised an alarm over what it described as a plot to carry out coordinated attacks on several communities in Northern Nigeria on Christmas Day.
However, the Presidency has dismissed the warning, questioning the motive behind the alert and cautioning Nigerians against spreading reports capable of creating unnecessary fear.
The alarm was raised by the founder of the organisation, Judd Saul, during a roundtable meeting convened by the International Committee on Nigeria in collaboration with the African Jewish Alliance. The meeting, held on Wednesday in Washington DC, United States, was chaired by former United States Congressman Frank Wolf.
Saturday PUNCH gathered that the meeting was attended by Congressmen Riley Moore and Chris Smith, Senator James Lankford, members of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, and representatives of a Nigerian delegation.
Speaking at the meeting, Saul claimed that terrorist groups had begun regrouping for planned attacks targeting Christian communities during the Christmas celebration.
According to him, armed groups were gathering around the Plateau and Nasarawa border, the Nasarawa Benue border, and the Nasarawa Kaduna border, with plans to launch attacks on Christmas Day in Riyom, Bokkos, Kafanchan, and Agatu.
He said his organisation had received what he described as very reliable intelligence indicating that the groups were actively weaponising for a Christmas Day massacre. Saul appealed to the Nigerian government and United States President Donald Trump to intervene to prevent what he warned could result in mass casualties.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that the meeting formed part of a series of discussions aimed at addressing Nigeria’s worsening insecurity and concerns over alleged targeted killings of Christians.
A source close to the United States government disclosed that Saul had formally communicated the intelligence report to American authorities through Congressman Riley Moore.
According to the source, lawmakers present at the meeting were familiar with Nigeria, having visited the country multiple times and followed the issue for decades. The attackers, the source said, were largely classified as terrorists and jihadists. Saul’s report, it was learnt, would be escalated to President Trump through an official briefing.
It was further gathered that a closed door meeting was held after the roundtable session, although details of the deliberations were not disclosed.
Meanwhile, a senior officer of the Department of State Services in Abuja confirmed that the agency was aware of intelligence suggesting planned Christmas Day attacks and had commenced preventive measures.
The officer stated that the service had received the intelligence report and was already acting on it. Another DSS operative disclosed that intelligence gathering had been intensified nationwide, noting that attacks in the Middle Belt often follow predictable patterns, particularly during festive periods.
He explained that communities in those regions had historically been targeted during holidays and said the intelligence provided by the United States based organisation might be credible. However, he added that the DSS would likely have detected any such plot independently and would have put measures in place to prevent it.
Riyom and Bokkos local government areas of Plateau State have witnessed repeated bandit attacks in 2025. On October 31, gunmen attacked the Kwi community in Riyom, killing at least six people. In another incident, at least 32 villagers, including women and infants, were killed in Jebu village in the Tahoss District of the same local government.
Between June 19 and 21, gunmen invaded Juwan and Manja communities in Bokkos and neighbouring Mangu local government areas, killing about 13 people. Several other attacks in these areas were said to have gone unreported.
Similarly, Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State has recorded multiple attacks this year. The deadliest occurred on June 1 in Edikwu Ankpali and Opaha communities, where no fewer than 28 people were killed. Earlier in November, a pastor was killed and three others kidnapped in Anwule village near the Agatu Ohimini border.
In Southern Kaduna, suspected Fulani herdsmen reportedly attacked Chawai communities near Kafanchan last month, killing an undisclosed number of people and displacing many residents.
Efforts to obtain official reactions from security agencies were largely unsuccessful. The Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, and the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Michael Onoja, could not be reached. Police spokespersons in Kaduna, Plateau, and Benue states also did not respond to enquiries.
However, a senior security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said surveillance and intelligence operations would be intensified to avert any potential attacks, although he noted that no detailed intelligence had been received at that level.
Reacting to the alert, the Presidency dismissed the claims, warning Nigerians against amplifying reports from external organisations without verifying their credibility.
Responding to enquiries, the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said such reports could heighten fear and create unnecessary panic. He questioned the intention behind raising an alarm about alleged Christmas Day attacks in multiple states.
Ajayi assured Nigerians that security agencies were fully prepared to prevent any threat and urged citizens not to entertain fear. He said the police and military were working to ensure a peaceful Christmas and Yuletide season across the country.
Meanwhile, the Middle Belt Forum called for heightened security vigilance. Its President, Dr Bitrus Pogu, said although the group had not formally received the intelligence, there were indications that the warning might not be far from the truth, citing past instances where similar alerts preceded attacks.
Pogu said the government should be formally notified to ensure vulnerable communities, particularly those dominated by Christians, were adequately protected during the festive period.
Similarly, the Southern Kaduna Peoples’ Union urged security agencies to deploy personnel to strategic locations during Christmas, noting that communities in the region are often targeted during festive seasons. The group also called on residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements to authorities.
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