The U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Allison Hooker, on Wednesday, hosted the second Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting with Nigerian delegation led by National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, in Washington.

A statement on Thursday by the U.S. Department of State said the bilateral engagement followed the first session of the joint meeting held in Abuja on January 22.

The two countries had met in January to discuss issues bordering on violence against vulnerable groups in Nigeria, particularly Christians, as well as how to create a conducive atmosphere for all Nigerians to freely practise their faith unimpeded by terrorists, separatists, bandits and criminal militias.

The strategic discussion at the time also focused on how U.S. and Nigeria cooperation would improve religious freedom and enhance security across the country.

Stating the agenda for the second engagement, the Department of State said the bilateral meeting centred on the need to protect Christian communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.

It added that the meeting also focused on the need to hold perpetrators of violence accountable by strengthening judicial and security institutions, as well as fostering military-to-military cooperation.

Ms Hooker and Mr Ribadu also reviewed the progress made by the President Bola Tinubu’s administration on the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their ancestral homes, counterterrorism prosecutions and ongoing efforts to combat the financing of terrorism.

“The JWG identified continuing challenges, including reports of civilian fatalities and gaps in humanitarian expenditure transparency. Discussions on military-to-military cooperation continue today at the Pentagon,” the department stated.

The U.S. acknowledged Nigeria’s reported efforts, including the prosecution of hundreds of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) suspects.

The American government also acknowledged Mr Tinubu’s administration efforts to expand judicial capacity, as well as recruit and train about 50,000 additional police officers.  

“Both sides acknowledged that more work lies ahead, particularly with supporting IDPs,” it said.

The delegates agreed on the need to cooperate and counter terrorism financing and share biometric information to support accountability measures.

It stated that the cooperation would equally enhance law enforcement capacity building through the Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT).

“Under Secretary Hooker separately met with NSA Ribadu to further advance bilateral priorities and reaffirm the United States’ commitment to working with Nigeria to protect Christian communities and to deepen joint security cooperation,” the statement said.