The United States delegation on a fact-finding mission into killings in Nigeria held a closed-door meeting with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), on Tuesday.
The US team had previously met with the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and visited Benue State, where it engaged Catholic bishops, Governor Hyacinth Alia, and the Tiv traditional ruler.
The meeting with the AGF, which included US Congressman Riley Moore and US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr., was part of the team’s ongoing engagement in Nigeria.
The US President, Donald Trump, had in October declared Nigeria a “country of particular concern” in response to allegations of a Christian genocide.
Trump, in a Truth Social post shared on the White House’s X handle, stated: “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a ‘country of particular concern.’”
Speaking to journalists after the Tuesday meeting, Fagbemi said the discussion was aimed at addressing insecurity and providing the Federal Government’s perspective on terrorism.
“This meeting is about the issue of terrorism going on in the country and to afford us further opportunity to explain our own side of the story. We have explained this to them when we entered Washington, and I am happy that they are also here to see things for themselves,” he said.
He stressed that Nigeria’s security challenges are not religiously motivated.
“What is important is to appraise them that even though we have challenges in Nigeria, it is not religious.
We have security challenges, and the government is doing its utmost to ensure that these challenges are addressed,” Fagbemi stated.
The AGF noted that his ministry prosecutes suspects arrested in connection with terrorism and extremism, following due process.
“The one that concerns the Federal Ministry of Justice is about the prosecution of the people arrested in connection with extremism, and we are able to explain to them how far we have come and what we are also doing,” he said.
Providing an update on terrorism-related prosecutions, Fagbemi disclosed that between 2017 and 2025, the government secured 860 convictions and 891 discharges.
“For instance, today, as we speak, the terrorism trial is still going on. I have been there today and I have taken one or two of the cases, and I want to seize this opportunity to let you know that as of today, from 2017 to 2025, we have secured 860 convictions and 891 acquittals, that is, discharges,” he said.
He explained that the figures reflect the government’s commitment to the rule of law.
“What this speaks to, particularly the issue of discharges of the defendants, is that we don’t just arrest people and clamp them into prison. We follow due process. They are profiled. Those who have nothing to do with it are let off the hook. Those we believe we have cases against, we take them to court. It is for the court to decide,” Fagbemi added.
He said the Federal Government abides by court decisions, whether convictions or acquittals.
“So whenever the court takes a decision, we comply with or abide by the decision, and that is why we have both convictions and acquittals,” he said.
Fagbemi also disclosed that the US Congressman had met with several security and government agencies, as well as civil society and religious organisations.
“We are not the only agency that they are visiting. They have visited a number of agencies. I am aware, for example, that they visited the Office of the National Security Adviser. They have visited the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff and a few other agencies. They have also met with some civil society organisations and religious forces,” he said.
He urged the public not to exaggerate Nigeria’s security situation.
“I want to tell you that things are not as heinous as people are portraying. I can assure you of that. We have problems in Nigeria. It is not a problem of religion,” the Attorney-General stated.
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