Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The United States has condemned the early morning attack of July 27 on a village in Kaduna State that reportedly left at least 30 people dead, including children, as a US lawmaker urged President Bola Tinubu to do more to end violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
In a statement on X, the US Bureau of African Affairs said Washington “condemns the early morning July 27 attack on a village in Nigeria’s Kaduna State that reportedly killed at least 30 people, including children.”
“We express our deepest condolences to the loved ones of the deceased. We will continue to urge the Government of Nigeria to address rampant violence against Christians in the Middle Belt,” the bureau stated.
Reacting to the incident, US Representative Riley Moore described the news from the Middle Belt as “terrible.”
He commended progress made under the joint US-Nigeria security agreement in the North but said more must be done in the Middle Belt.
“President Tinubu must do more to address the violence in the Middle Belt, including securing the safe return of this seminarian,” Moore posted on X, referring to Seminarian Kelvin Ochai, kidnapped in Benue State.
The lawmaker did not provide further details on the circumstances of the seminarian’s abduction.
The July 27 attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents that have plagued communities in Kaduna and other Middle Belt states in recent years. The region, which sits between Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim North and Christian South, has witnessed recurring clashes often linked to banditry, kidnapping, and communal conflict.
Last year, the US and Nigeria activated a security cooperation framework aimed at intelligence sharing, training, and counter-terrorism support. US officials have repeatedly cited that agreement when noting gains against insurgency in the North-east.
However, rights groups and US officials have continued to raise concerns about attacks on farming communities and places of worship in the Middle Belt.
The Bureau of African Affairs’ statement signals Washington’s renewed focus on protecting civilians and religious communities in the region.