President Bola Tinubu and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, on Sunday held a closed door meeting over the worsening insecurity crisis facing the country, touching on areas of collaboration.
The US ambassador to Nigeria and other high-ranking officials including US congressman Riley Moore spoke with National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu in Abuja over the alleged persecution and murders of Christians in Nigeria.
Macron said he spoke with President Tinubu and reaffirmed France’s commitment to bolstering its cooperation with Nigerian authorities in a message published on X on Sunday.
Taking to his official x handle, he wrote, “I spoke with President Tinubu of Nigeria, @officialABAT. I conveyed France’s solidarity in the face of the various security challenges, particularly the terrorist threat in the North.
“At his (Tinubu’s) request, we will strengthen our partnership with the authorities and our support for the affected populations.
“We call on all our partners to step up their engagement. No one can remain a spectator,” the French President added.
Additionally, Macron said that his government will work with the Federal Government to support the impacted populations in response to Tinubu’s request.
Macron’s remarks come after a surge of kidnappings and gun attacks that have received international attention, especially in northern regions and schools.
The French leader’s support comes just days after Tinubu swore in Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), a new Minister of Defense tasked with producing results quickly.
Tinubu ordered the army, police, and intelligence services to quickly increase recruiting and deploy thousands of more troops after declaring a national security emergency on November 26.
Additionally, he had instructed governors to strengthen local early-warning systems while security agencies prioritized the security of farms, schools, and places of worship.
Tinubu’s meeting with Macron also comes as Nigeria’s security situation has been under increased international scrutiny, particularly from US President Donald Trump, who in early November threatened to invade the nation on the grounds of a purported genocide against Christians.
Recall that Trump recently re-designated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern for religious freedom violations and threatened military intervention.
However, claims of Christian persecution have been repeatedly denied by the Federal Government, which maintains that all religions are affected by Nigeria’s insecurity.
This situation has now prompted the Federal Government to seek diplomatic aid from the international community.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
WhatsApp: NaijaEyes
Facebook: NaijaEyes
Twitter: NaijaEyes
Instagram: NaijaEyes
TikTok: NaijaEyes
