The United States has condemned the July 27 attack on a village in Kaduna State that reportedly killed at least 30 people, including children, and called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to intensify efforts to curb the persistent violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
In a statement posted on X, the US Bureau of African Affairs described the attack as another tragic episode in the region’s prolonged security crisis and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.
“The United States 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.
US Representative Riley Moore also reacted, describing reports from the Middle Belt as “terrible” and urging the Federal Government to strengthen security operations despite recent progress achieved through Nigeria-US security cooperation.
Moore specifically called for the safe return of Seminarian Kelvin Ochai, who was abducted in Benue State.
“President Tinubu must do more to address the violence in the Middle Belt, including securing the safe return of this seminarian,” he wrote on X.
The Kaduna attack is one of several deadly incidents recorded across Kaduna and other Middle Belt states, where communities continue to face banditry, kidnappings and communal violence. The region, located between Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim North and Christian South, has remained one of the country’s major security flashpoints.
Nigeria and the United States activated a security cooperation framework last year focused on intelligence sharing, military training and counter-terrorism operations. While US officials have acknowledged improvements in the fight against insurgency in parts of northern Nigeria, Washington and international human rights organisations have continued to express concern over recurring attacks on farming communities, villages and places of worship in the Middle Belt.
The Bureau of African Affairs said the latest statement reflects the United States’ continued concern over civilian protection and its call for stronger measures to safeguard vulnerable communities.
