By Sandra Ugwu 

A humanitarian group, Equipping The Persecuted, has issued a warning over an alleged plan by armed groups to launch coordinated attacks on some northern Nigerian communities on Christmas Day, a claim the Presidency has described as doubtful and capable of causing unnecessary panic.

The alert was raised by the organisation’s founder, Judd Saul, during a roundtable discussion in Washington, DC, organised by the International Committee on Nigeria alongside the African Jewish Alliance. The meeting was chaired by former United States congressman Frank Wolf and attended by serving lawmakers, members of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and a Nigerian delegation.

Saul claimed that terrorists were regrouping around border areas linking Plateau, Nasarawa, Benue and Kaduna states, allegedly preparing to strike communities such as Riyom, Bokkos, Kafanchan and Agatu on Christmas Day. He said his organisation had obtained what it considered credible intelligence indicating preparations for large-scale attacks and appealed to both the Nigerian government and the United States authorities to intervene urgently.

Sources familiar with the meeting said the information had been formally passed to US officials through Congressman Riley Moore, who is expected to brief President Donald Trump. A separate closed-door session was reportedly held after the public meeting, though details of the deliberations were not made public.

In Nigeria, a senior official of the Department of State Services confirmed that the agency was aware of reports suggesting possible attacks and had already activated preventive security measures. Another operative said intelligence gathering had been stepped up nationwide, noting that communities in the Middle Belt have often been targeted during festive periods.

Several areas mentioned in the alert have suffered repeated attacks this year. Communities in Riyom and Bokkos local government areas of Plateau State have recorded multiple deadly incidents, while Agatu in Benue State has also witnessed attacks that left many residents dead. Southern Kaduna communities around Kafanchan were similarly affected in recent weeks.

Attempts to obtain comments from the police and military authorities in the affected states were largely unsuccessful, although a senior security source said surveillance would be intensified to prevent any breakdown of law and order.

Responding to the claims, the Presidency urged caution, questioning the intent of the organisation behind the alert. President Bola Tinubu’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, advised Nigerians not to circulate unverified reports that could worsen public anxiety. He assured citizens that security agencies were fully prepared to foil any threat and ensure a peaceful Christmas and yuletide season.

Meanwhile, regional groups have called for increased security presence. The Middle Belt Forum said the warning could not be dismissed outright, recalling that similar intelligence had preceded past attacks. The Southern Kaduna Peoples’ Union also appealed for heightened vigilance, urging residents to cooperate with security agencies by reporting suspicious activities.

Security authorities have reiterated their commitment to safeguarding lives and property during the festive period.