US to partner Nigeria on task force to address Christian persecution claims, says state department official

Jonathan Pratt, senior official at the US state department’s Bureau of African Affairs, says the agency will work with the Nigerian government on measures to address the alleged Christian persecution in the country.

Pratt, who spoke on Thursday as a witness during the congressional hearing of the matter in Washington DC, said the plan was a directive from Marco Rubio, secretary of state.

This week, Nigeria dispatched a high-level delegation to engage American officials on the Christian persecution allegations, following President Donald Trump’s redesignation of Africa’s most populous nation as a ‘country of particular concern’.

Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA), led the delegation that also includes Lateef Fagbemi, attorney-general of the federation (AGF) and minister of justice.

During the hearing, Pratt said the delegation will meet with state department officials as well as department of war officials, whom Trump had instructed to prepare for military action in Nigeria.

“The secretary of state has directed us at the State Department to work with the Nigerian government on an action plan and to set up a task force to address this issue and use all of the tools that are at our disposal to focus minds and focus attention on this issue,” he said.

Pratt said the plan would be primarily diplomatic but would also cover security, assistance, and cooperation programmes.

“This would span from security to policing to economic. 
We want to look at all of these tools and have a comprehensive strategy to get the best result possible,” he said.

Jacob McGee, deputy assistant secretary, bureau of democracy, human rights, and labour at the state department, described the CPC designation as a conversation starter that would lead to greater engagement with the Nigerian government “because ultimately, this is their responsibility”.