Planned Christmas Day attacks uncovered

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A humanitarian organisation, Equipping The Persecuted, has raised the alarm over what it described as a plot to kill many people in some northern communities on Christmas Day.

But the Presidency, in a swift reaction, questioned the motive of the group, saying the alert was doubtful and could create unnecessary fear among Nigerians.

The founder of the organisation, Judd Saul, spoke during a roundtable meeting convened by the International Committee on Nigeria and the African Jewish Alliance.

The meeting, which was held on Wednesday in Washington DC, United States, was chaired by a former congressman, Frank Wolf.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that the meeting was also attended by Congressmen Riley Moore and Chris Smith, Senator James Lankford, and members of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, alongside some Nigerian delegation.

Saul said terrorists had started regrouping for the planned attacks.

He said, “They are gathering forces around the Plateau and Nasarawa border, along the Nasarawa-Benue border and along the Nasarawa-Kaduna border. They are planning to hit on Christmas Day in Riyom, Bokkos, Kafanchan and Agatu.

“We got very reliable information that they are weaponising for a Christmas Day massacre. I am imploring the Nigerian government and President Donald Trump to do something so we don’t have a bunch of dead Christians in Nigeria.”

Our correspondents gathered that the meeting was among a series of deliberations to resolve the insecurity in Nigeria and address concerns of alleged killing of Christians.

A source close to the US government told  that Saul had officially communicated the said report his organisation got to the government through Moore.