📰 Alleged Christmas Day Attack Plot — What’s Being Reported
📌 1. U.S. Group Raises Alarm
- A United States–based humanitarian organisation called Equipping The Persecuted has publicly warned of an alleged plan by armed groups to carry out coordinated attacks on communities in northern Nigeria on Christmas Day (December 25).
- The group claims intelligence suggests militants are mobilising around flashpoints in Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue and Kaduna states, with specific communities named as potential targets.
- This alarm was raised in Washington, D.C., during a roundtable meeting with several U.S. lawmakers and officials.
🛡 2. Nigerian Security Services Aware
- Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has confirmed that it received intelligence related to the reported plot and says security agencies have stepped up surveillance and preventive operations ahead of the festive period.
🏛 3. Presidency Questions the Alert
- The Presidency of Nigeria, through the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has publicly dismissed the alarm as doubtful and cautioned against spreading panic.
- The Presidency questioned the motive behind the external alert, suggesting it could heighten fear and insecurity rather than help.
- Government officials also assured Nigerians that security forces are capable and mobilised to ensure a peaceful Christmas season.
📍 Why This Matters
- Festive periods in Nigeria’s Middle Belt have historically seen violence, especially around religious holidays, making any threat claims sensitive.
- The response from the Presidency reflects concern about public panic and the credibility of foreign warnings, while security services maintain they are acting on available intelligence.
📌 Summary in Simple Terms
- A U.S. organisation warned of a possible Christmas Day attack plot in parts of northern Nigeria.
- Nigerian security agencies say they are aware and working preventively.
- The Presidency says the alert is doubtful and urges calm.
