threats

In an era where nearly all activity has shifted to the digital space, terrorism has also evolved. Terrorists no longer need territory to establish training camps, ideological teachers, or secret meetings in the middle of the night. All they need now is an internet connection, a social media account, and closed, hard-to-trace chat rooms. This is the new face of terrorism: invisible, borderless, and infiltrating our daily lives through the small screens in our hands. This phenomenon creates a threat that is far more difficult to address than the conventional forms of terrorism that have historically been the primary focus of states.

This transformation of terrorism is no longer an academic prediction, but it is already happening. ISIS is the most obvious example. When its physical territory collapsed in 2019, analysts expected the group to slowly fade away. In fact, they have emerged even more dangerously through the digital world. By utilizing social media, Telegram, dark forums, and professionally polished propaganda videos, ISIS has succeeded in establishing a “virtual caliphate” with followers spread across the globe. In Indonesia, the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) even noted that the majority of radicalization of terrorists over the past decade has occurred online. This means that violent narratives are now spreading faster than the state can control them.

This phenomenon raises a far more serious problem: terrorism no longer takes the form of large groups easily targeted by security forces but rather individuals or small groups inspired online. This is known as lone wolf terrorism. Many perpetrators have never met their network leaders, never entered a training cell, or even left their homes. They learn to make bombs through anonymous PDFs, discuss discussions in encrypted groups, and gain legitimacy through calls to digital jihad. The most obvious examples come from lone wolf attacks in Europe and America, including those radicalized simply by watching YouTube videos or following propaganda accounts on social media.

Indonesia is no exception. The 2021 suicide bombing at Makassar Cathedral Church is one of the most prominent examples of how digital radicalization works. The perpetrators were known to actively consume extremist content online and interact in groups affiliated with Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD). They never underwent organized physical training. The entire recruitment process, indoctrination, and even action direction were conducted digitally. This is a new form of terrorism that is much more difficult to map, spreads much faster, and is far more dangerous.

Even more worrying, technological advances such as artificial intelligence (AI) are giving terrorists new tools that never existed before. Deepfakes, for example, allow someone to create videos of religious figures calling for jihad that appear “authentic.” AI-based disinformation can also amplify conspiracy theories and encourage easily triggered individuals to commit violence. Cybersecurity experts have even warned that in the next few years, AI-based terrorism could produce forms of attack never imagined in previous eras, including automated attack scripts, measured psychological manipulation, and personalized propaganda—something impossible to do manually.

The problem is, state strategies both in Indonesia and many other countries are still lagging behind. Our counterterrorism policies still focus on physical threats: arrests, network dismantling, weapons confiscation, and headquarters raids. These are certainly important, but not enough. States often fail to understand that today’s radicalization doesn’t occur in small mosques or secret training camps but rather through social media algorithms that unwittingly push extremist content to vulnerable users. Digital regulation has also moved much slower than the technological innovations exploited by extremist groups.

State weakness is also evident in the limited ability of law enforcement to track encrypted communications. Apps like Telegram, Discord, and WhatsApp have end-to-end encryption systems that make messages unreadable to third parties. Meanwhile, terrorist groups are quickly shifting their activities to the most difficult platforms to monitor. Without comparable technological capabilities, states will always be left behind. Ironically, the majority of national security budgets are still focused on conventional strategies, even though the greatest threats now emerge from the digital space.

This situation demands a comprehensive change in approach for the state. Anti-terrorism strategies in the digital age must combine security policies with a deep understanding of the technology ecosystem. First, modern cyber surveillance capabilities are needed, not in the sense of violating public privacy, but rather in the sense of enhancing collaboration between governments, social media platforms, and digital service providers. Technology companies like Meta, Google, and TikTok must become strategic partners in efforts to remove extremist content and prevent algorithms from spreading radical material.

Second, the state must strengthen international cooperation. Digital terrorism knows no borders. Attacks in Indonesia could be initiated from Syria, the Southern Philippines, or Europe. Cooperation with Interpol, ASEAN Counter-Terrorism, and other global institutions is crucial for tracking transnational networks that utilize the internet for propaganda and coordination.

Third, deradicalization must also adapt. The old approach, which relied solely on face-to-face counseling, is no longer sufficient. Digital deradicalization through counter-narratives, moderate influencers, and creative content targeting young people is imperative. Extremist narratives must be countered in the same place where they thrive: social media.

Fourth, digital literacy must be part of the national security strategy. Many individuals are exposed to radicalization not because they are ideologically extreme, but because they cannot distinguish credible information from propaganda. Teaching the public to recognize misinformation, conspiracy theories, and radical content is the most fundamental form of defense in this era.

And lastly, the state must raise awareness that terrorism today no longer originates in physical spaces but in the digital spaces we use every day. This threat may be invisible, but its impact is very real. If the state does not immediately update its security strategy and adapt to changes in the digital world, the radicalization of the younger generation will not only be difficult to prevent, it will also continue to increase unnoticed.

Terrorism in the digital age is a new battlefield that no longer relies on guns and bombs but rather on narratives, algorithms, and propaganda that spread in seconds. We have only two choices: adapt or be left behind. Amid rapid technological change, national security can only be assured if the state moves faster than the ever-changing threats. Otherwise, we will continue to be surprised by attacks that actually started long before the perpetrator hit the “upload” button.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Capitol Police on Tuesday announced that the agency was opening regional field offices in California and Florida to investigate threats to members of Congress in the wake of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

Threats against members of Congress have increased in recent years. As of Tuesday, total threats so far in 2021 were double what they were at this point a year ago, according to Capitol Police.

Home to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) and other prominent members of Congress, California gives the law enforcement agency a Western base to investigate claims of threats made against members. The state is also home to the nation’s largest congressional delegation.

Yogananda Pittman, the department’s acting chief, told lawmakers in March that the vast majority of the increased threats were from people who didn’t live near Washington..

The field offices will be in the Tampa and San Francisco areas, according to Capitol Police.

“At this time, Florida and California are where the majority of our potential threats are,” a department spokesperson said in a statement. “The field offices will be the first for the Department. A regional approach to investigating and prosecuting threats against Members is important, so we will be working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in those locations.”

The new field offices are among the changes made since the attack six months ago in which Capitol Police were quickly overwhelmed by thousands of pro-Trump supporters, hundreds of whom were able to break into the Capitol building, forcing members to temporarily halt certification of the 2020 election results and flee for safety. Capitol Police leaders told congressional committees investigating the incident that they had no information that the crowd would become violent.

Five people died in the melee or the days after. Two officers died by suicide, and more than 140 were injured — some permanently. More than 500 people have been charged for participating in the attack.

Other changes, spurred in part by congressional investigations and reports by the department’s internal watchdog, include increased training for officers alongside the National Guard, improved intelligence-gathering efforts and protocols for reporting sensitive information, and new equipment and technology for officers.

The police agency rarely provides information to the public on how it operates, citing security concerns and member safety. For example, unlike other government agencies, the internal watchdog’s reports are not publicly available.

A spokesperson did not answer questions Tuesday about how many staff would be hired or what the cost to taxpayers would be.

The spokesperson said other regional offices were expected.

Very few members of Congress are accompanied by security outside of the Capitol building, and it is unclear if the new offices will primarily investigate threats against members or also will help when security is needed in the state. The Capitol Police have jurisdiction to investigate all threats made against a member of Congress.

Experience of Ulster club hurling final day may be an advantage for Slaughtneil when they take on St John’s at the Athletic Grounds on Saturday (18:00 GMT), but manager Paul McCormack insists they will need much more to retain their provincial crown.

The Derry champions are appearing in their 10th final of their 13-in-a-row run of county success with a sixth Ulster title in their sights.

Last year, they got their hands on the Four Seasons Cup for the first time since 2021 when coming through in a thriller against Portaferry and they had to dig deep once again against the Down club in this year’s semi-final, winning 1-23 to 1-18.

There is a know-how of playing late in the year for this group, a result of their desire to get back to the All-Ireland stage with Galway’s Loughrea awaiting the winner of Saturday’s Ulster decider, but McCormack is aware St John’s will be equally motivated having ended their 52-year wait for an Antrim title.

“That [experience] is an advantage we have, but St John’s are coming fresh, hungry and eager to make their impact now,” the Keady native told BBC Sport NI.

“The Antrim championship is very hard won, so this is their time and they will do all they can to make that time count.

“Our experience, will it tell? We’ll see on Saturday evening. I would hope it would because our fellas are grounded, still hungry and have that desire, so they will need all those qualities to get through the game.”

R&B singer Ray J was arrested early Thanksgiving morning, according to jail records and a police spokesman.

The 44-year-old artist — whose legal name is Willie Norwood — was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats, according to Los Angeles Police Department Capt. Mike Bland.

Jail records show Norwood was arrested around 4 a.m. by officers from LAPD’s Devonshire Division, which patrols parts of the San Fernando Valley including Chatsworth and Northridge.

Bland could not provide details on the incident or say exactly where Norwood was arrested. He was released on $50,000 bond a few hours after his arrest, according to jail records.

The younger brother of actress and singer Brandy, Norwood is best known for the tracks “One Wish” and “Sexy Can I.” He was sued for defamation in October by his ex-girlfriend, Kim Kardashian, over comments he made in a TMZ documentary.

Ray J is married to actor and producer Princess Love Norwood, whom he co-starred with on the reality show “Love & Hip Hop,” which showcased an often contentious relationship. The two, who share two children, are in the process of a divorce, as People reported last year.

Abuse survivors urge accountability and support ahead of the much-anticipated release of the files related to the late sex offender in the United States.

A group of survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s decades-long sexual abuse have said that they have been receiving death threats, which they expect to escalate, as the date nears for the release of files concerning the deceased convicted paedophile financier.

In a statement titled “What we’re bracing for” and made public on Thursday, Epstein’s survivors have demanded accountability and legal support to face their abusers and get justice.

“Many of us have already received death threats and other threats of harm. We are bracing for these to escalate,” they said.

“We ask every federal and state law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over these threats to investigate them and protect us.”

They also warned that there have been attempts to blame the victims for their own or each other’s abuse.

Some of the survivors have increased the pace of their campaigning efforts recently to pressure the United States administration to release the Justice Department’s files on the late sex offender, speaking publicly about their stories.

The furore has dominated the national agenda in the US with President Donald Trump backpedalling on his opposition against the Justice Department releasing the files with a sudden about-face last week.

Trump signed a bill on Wednesday requiring the Justice Department to release all of the files related to the disgraced financier.

That was one day after the legislation was unanimously approved in the US Senate.

After he signed the move into law, the department has 30 days to make them public.

‘Continue fighting’

The development follows weeks of intense political fighting about how far to go in disclosing records tied to Epstein.

The release could identify some of the most high-profile figures in politics, entertainment and business.

“Years ago, Epstein got away with abusing us by portraying us as flawed and bad girls,” said the statement by the survivors, demanding full disclosure of the files.

“We cannot let his enablers use this tactic to escape accountability now,” added the appeal, signed by 18 named survivors and 10 Jane Does.

“We ask our champions in Congress and in the public to continue fighting to make sure all materials are released, not selected ones.”

For one survivor, Marina Lacerda, the upcoming publication of the files represents more than an opportunity for justice.

Lacerda says she was just 14 when Epstein started sexually abusing her at his New York mansion, but she struggles to recall much of what happened because it is such a dark period in her life. Now, she’s hoping that the files will reveal more about the trauma that distorted so much of her adolescence.

“I feel that the government and the FBI knows more than I do, and that scares me, because it’s my life, it’s my past,” she told The Associated Press news agency.

Epstein was found dead in his New York City jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial. He pleaded guilty and was convicted in 2008 of procuring a minor for prostitution.

Virginia Giuffre, an Epstein survivor whose painful story has been one of the most high-profile cases, had reportedly faced a campaign of intimidation and threats before she died by suicide in April.

Giuffre had accused Epstein and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the disgraced and expelled former United Kingdom royal Prince Andrew, of sexual abuse.

ADAM Peaty has cancelled a two-day event in the US after receiving sinister threats amid his explosive family feud.

The Sun today revealed how Adam was escorted off a plane from his stag do by five police officers over concerns he might be assaulted.

Olympic champion swimmer Adam, 30, was due to fly to the US this weekend for a two-day training clinic with aspiring swimmers who signed up to his AP Race company.

He founded the business in 2019 to provide clinics to athletes across the globe.

Adam was expected to fly to Orlando, Florida, for a two-day session on November 15 and 16.

The website is still advertising Adam as attending and said: “Adam and the AP Race Team cannot wait to be heading to the USA for our first ever American Clinics.

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“This is your ultimate opportunity to be coached by Triple Olympic Champion and World Record Holder, Adam Peaty and learn from his world class team.”

However those close to Adam said he would no longer be attending the clinic.

A source said: “With everything going on Adam is going to remain in the UK.

“His team will still be delivering a first class clinic.”

The Sun first told this week how a secret feud between Adam and certain members of his family had imploded.

His mother, Caroline, was banned from attending his wedding to his fiancee Holly Ramsay, 25, next month.

Those close to the family branded six-time Olympic medalist Adam a “narcissist” and said he was “ashamed” of the family.

In a statement, a friend of Adam and Holly hit back and said the issue wasn’t cut and dry as his family were making out.

And today insiders told The Sun how Holly, the daughter of celebrity chef Gordon, had called cops over concerns for Adam’s safety while he was on his stag do in Budapest, Hungary.

A source explained that Adam had received a series of “increasingly threatening” messages while away with friends – prompting Holly to get the police involved.

A friend said: “The issues that have been reported don’t stem from hen do or wedding invitations; it goes so much deeper.

“Things escalated over the weekend when someone became increasingly abusive and threatening over text.

“Adam was trying to enjoy his stag do and was getting freaked out by it all.

“He then received a threat that he’d be met off the plane.

“He told Holly who called the cops after consulting with her family.

“Gordon and Tana have been 100 per cent supportive of them in this.

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“They are both brilliant in a crisis.

“The police were sufficiently concerned that they went to the airport to accompany him through passport control, baggage area, arrivals hall and into a waiting vehicle.”

Speaking at this year’s COP30 in Brazil, UN chief Antonio Guterres called the inability to limit global warming to 1.5C (2.7F) a “deadly moral failure”.

But does the same apply when it comes to protecting the environment in conflict?

Israel’s two-year war on Gaza has created 61 million tonnes of rubble, with nearly a quarter contaminated with asbestos and other hazardous materials.

And scientists warn that Israel’s use of water, food and energy as weapons of war in Gaza has left farmland and ecosystems facing irreversible collapse.

In Syria, President Ahmed al-Sharaa has cited his country’s worst drought in more than six decades as evidence of accelerating climate change and warned that it could hinder Syria’s post-war recovery.

So, why isn’t conflict seen as a climate issue? And why is the environmental toll of war so often ignored?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests: Kate Mackintosh – deputy chair of the Independent Expert Panel for the Legal Definition of Ecocide

Elaine Donderer – disaster risk specialist

Farai Maguwu – director of the Zimbabwe-based Centre for Natural Resource Governance

DAVID Tennant’s wife has been left horrified and has appealed to the police following a series of vile death threats. 

Actress Georgia has been targeted by trolls online through social media with one even branding her ‘a w****’.

Georgia took to her Instagram stories to share a screenshot of messages she’s received from users online. 

One troll branded her ‘w****’ and told her to go back to the street she came from, referencing her as the ‘ex-wife of David Tennant’.

Georgia and David have been happily married since 2011. 

The couple also have four children together and each have one child from previous relationships.

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Another sent her a barrage of vile death threats.

The actress tagged social media platform Instagram and The Metropolitan Police in a plea for them to take action against the users. 

Georgia is also an actress like her husband and is the daughter of Doctor Who actor Peter Davison and his ex-wife Sandra Dickinson.

Following in her parents footsteps, she made her on-screen debut at the tender age of just 15 in Peak Practice in 1999, playing Nicki Davey.

The actress is perhaps best known for a recurring role as Abigail Nixon in The Bill from 2007 to 2009.

In May 2008, Georgia appeared in an episode of Doctor Who as Jenny, as the artificially-created daughter of the tenth doctor David, who is now her husband.

In 2020, along with David, Georgia co-starred and produced the comedy Staged, which was filmed during the Covid-19 lockdown.

As of this year Georgia has been the executive producer in a short film titled The Birds and the Bees.

Hubbie David has been facing his own predicaments this past year after his ITV game show The Genius Game was axed in the channel’s biggest, most expensive flop in years.

ITV spent months denying it had scrapped the programme, whose finale earlier this year attracted a paltry average of 661,000 in a prime time slot.

Earlier this year, Managing Director, Media and Entertainment, Kevin Lygo earlier revealed the truth  about the show when he was asked whether they would bring it back and whether he considered it a success.

He said: “Not really. I think it was a good try, but if were honest the audience didn’t come, it was a bit complicated.

“But I do know people who were obsessed with it. You know, especially young people were obsessed with and couldn’t believe we were not going to bring it back.

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“But, you know, I think in entertainment we all know how difficult it is to launch a big new show.”

Discussing expenditure he added: “Every show is a risk that’s new. Every show costs millions of pounds, practically, to put on. Certainly great big entertainment shows.”

Nov. 4 (UPI) — Bomb threats have shut down polling stations throughout New Jersey Tuesday, and officials have moved several to new election sites.

Officials have said the threats, which were sent via email, were not credible.

“Early this morning, law enforcement responded to threats that were received by email involving certain polling places in Bergen, Essex, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic counties,” the state Office of the Attorney General said in a statement Tuesday, NJ.com reported. “Law enforcement officers have responded at each affected polling place, and they have worked swiftly to secure these polling locations and ensure the safety of every voter. Some of these polling locations have already re-opened to the public. At others, voters will be directed to a nearby polling location to cast their ballot.”

The threats appear to have come from out of the country, said Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh, PIX11 reported.

“We are doing everything in our power to protect voters and poll workers and coordinate closely with state, local and federal partners to ensure a smooth and safe election,” said Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, who also serves as the New Jersey secretary of state.

The election Tuesday focuses on the New Jersey governor’s race. PIX11 New York said Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli and Democratic nominee Mikie Sherrill are tied in polling.

“Voters should continue to have confidence that they can cast their ballot without fear of intimidation, and we will continue to work tirelessly to ensure a free, fair, and secure election,” said State Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin.

Catatumbo, Colombia – The Catatumbo region, which stretches along the border with Venezuela in the department of Norte de Santander, is Colombia’s most volatile frontier.

Endowed with oil reserves and coca crops but impoverished and neglected, this border area has historically been a site of violent competition between armed groups fighting for territorial control.

The National Liberation Army (ELN), Colombia’s largest remaining guerrilla force, maintains a strong and organised presence, operating across the porous border with Venezuela.

It is there that some of their fighters pick up an Al Jazeera reporting team and drive us to meet their commanders.

Tensions remain high in this region. In January, thousands of people were displaced because of the fighting between the ELN and a dissident faction from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that continues to operate in some parts of the country in spite of peace agreements brokered in 2016.

The fight is over control of the territory and access to the border with Venezuela, which is a crucial way to move drugs out of the country.

Entering the area, it’s immediately apparent that the ELN is in total control here. There is no evidence of the country’s military. ELN flags decorate the sideroads, and the signs give a clear message of the way the group’s members see Colombia right now.

“Total peace is a failure,” they say.

There is also no mobile phone signal. People tell the Al Jazeera team that telephone companies do not want to pay a tax to the armed groups controlling the territory.

When President Gustavo Petro took office, he promised to implement a total peace plan with Colombia’s armed groups. But the negotiations have not been easy, especially with the ELN.

Government offcials suspended the peace talks because of the fighting in Catatumbo, but now say they are ready to reinitiate talks.

Al Jazeera meets with Commander Ricardo and Commander Silvana in a small house in the middle of the mountains. The interview has to be fast, they say, as they are concerned about a potential attack and reconnaissance drones that have been circulating in the area.

The commanders are accompanied by some of their fighters. Asked how many they have in the area, they respond, “We are thousands, and not everyone is wearing their uniforms. Some are urban guerrillas.”

The government estimates the ELN has around 3,000 fighters. But the figure could be much higher.

Commander Ricardo, who is in charge of the region, says he believes there could be a chance for peace.

“The ELN has been battling for a political solution for 30 years with various difficulties,” he says. “We believed that with Petro, we would advance in the process. But that did not happen. There’s never been peace in Colombia. What we have is the peace of the graves.”

The group and the government had been meeting in Mexico prior to the suspension of the talks. “If the accords we had in Mexico are still there, I believe our central command would agree [it] could open up the way for a political solution to this conflict”, Commander Ricardo tells Al Jazeera.

US drugs threat

But it’s not just the fight with the Colombian state that has armed groups here on alert. The United States military campaign against alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific – and the US’s aggressive posture towards the government of neighbouring Venezuela – have brought an international dimension to what was once an internal Colombian conflict.

The administration of US President Donald Trump refers to these people not as guerrillas but “narco-terrorists”, and has not ruled out the possibility of attacking them on Colombian soil.

The US operation, which began in early September, has killed more than 62 people, including nationals from Venezuela and Colombia, and destroyed 14 boats and a semi-submersible.

Some of the commanders have an extradition request from the US, and the government says they are wanted criminals.

The US strikes against boats allegedly carrying drugs in the Caribbean and the military build-up in the region to ramp up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro are seen by the ELN as another act of US imperialism.

The US government claims one of those boats belonged to the ELN. “Why don’t they capture them and show the world what they captured and what they are they trafficking?” Commander Ricardo asks. “But no, they erase them with a bomb.”

He also warns about the possibility of the ELN joining in the fight against the US. “In the hypothesis that Trump attacks Venezuela, we will have to see how we respond, but it’s not just us,” he says. “[It’s] all of Latin America because I am sure there are going to be many, many people who will grab a weapon and fight because it’s too much. The fact that the United States can step over people without respecting their self-determination has to end.”

The ELN was inspired by the Cuban revolution. But over the years, it has been involved in kidnappings, killings, extortion, and drug trafficking.

Commander Silvana, who joined the group when she was a teen, says the ELN is not like other armed groups in the country.

“Our principles indicate that we are not involved in drug trafficking,” she says. “We have told this to the international community. What we have is taxes in the territories we have been controlling for over 60 years. And if there is coca, of course, we tax it, too.”

Colombia has been a crucial US ally in the region over the decades in the fight against drug trafficking. But Petro has increasingly questioned the US policy in the Caribbean, arguing that Washington’s approach to security and migration reflects out-of-date Cold War logic rather than the region’s current realities.

He has criticised the US military presence and naval operations near Venezuela, warning that such tactics risk increasing tensions instead of promoting cooperation.

Trump has accused Petro, who is a former guerrilla, of being a drug trafficker himself.

Petro responded angrily, writing on X, “Colombia has never been rude to the United States. To the contrary, it has loved its culture very much. But you are rude and ignorant about Colombia.”

Colombia’s Foreign Ministry also condemned Trump’s remarks as offensive and a direct threat to the country’s sovereignty, and vowed to seek international support in defence of Petro and Colombian autonomy.

The belligerent US approach to Venezuela and Colombia, both led by leftist presidents – and the heightened possibility of a US military intervention – risk turning a local Colombia conflict into a broader regional one.

Everyone on the ground is now assessing how they will respond if the US government gives its military the green light to attack Venezuela.

Nigeria’s presidential spokesperson welcomes US assistance ‘as long as it recognises our territorial integrity’.

Nigeria says it would welcome assistance from the United States in fighting armed groups as long as its territorial integrity is respected after US President Donald Trump threatened military action in the West African country over what he claimed was persecution of Christians there.

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said  he had asked the Department of Defense to prepare for possible “fast” military action in Nigeria if Africa’s most populous country fails to crack down on the “killing of Christians”.

A spokesperson for Nigeria’s presidency, Daniel Bwala, told the Reuters news agency on Sunday that the country would “welcome US assistance as long as it recognises our territorial integrity”.

“I am sure by the time these two leaders meet and sit, there would be better outcomes in our joint resolve to fight terrorism,” Bwala added.

In his post, Trump said the US would immediately cut off all assistance to the country “if the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians”.

Earlier, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu pushed back against claims of religious intolerance and defended his country’s efforts to protect religious freedom.

“Since 2023, our administration has maintained an open and active engagement with Christian and Muslim leaders alike and continues to address security challenges which affect citizens across faiths and regions,” Tinubu said in a statement.

“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians.”

Nigeria, a country of more than 200 million people, is divided between the largely Muslim north and mostly Christian south.

Armed groups have been engaged in a conflict that has been largely confined to the northeast of the country and has dragged on for more than 15 years. Analysts said that while Christians have been killed, most of the victims have been Muslims.

‘No Christian genocide’

While human rights groups have urged the government to do more to address unrest in the country, which has experienced deadly attacks by Boko Haram and other armed groups, experts say claims of a “Christian genocide” are false and simplistic.

“All the data reveals is that there is no Christian genocide going on in Nigeria,” Bulama Bukarti, a Nigerian humanitarian lawyer and analyst on conflict and development, told Al Jazeera. This is “a dangerous far-right narrative that has been simmering for a long time that President Trump is amplifying today”.

“It is divisive, and it is only going to further increase instability in Nigeria,” Bukarti added, explaining that armed groups in Nigeria have been targeting both Muslims and Christians.

“They bomb markets. They bomb churches. They bomb mosques, and they attack every civilian location they find. They do not discriminate between Muslims and Christians.”

Ebenezer Obadare, a senior fellow of Africa studies at the Washington, DC-based Council on Foreign Relations, agreed and said the Trump administration should work with Nigerian authorities to address the “common enemy”.

“This is precisely the moment when Nigeria needs assistance, especially military assistance,” Obadare said. “The wrong thing to do is to invade Nigeria and override the authorities or the authority of the Nigerian government. Doing that will be counterproductive.”