₦airaland Forum

Nigeria’s battle to shape Washington’s view of its internal security crisis has spilled into a lobbying war, with the federal government dramatically outspending Biafran secessionist groups as both sides seek President Donald Trump’s ear over claims of a Christian genocide.

According the noted UK publication, African Confidential: Alarmed by Trump’s threat last November to go into Nigeria “guns ablazing,” President Bola Tinubu’s administration and its allies have moved swiftly to counter separatist narratives in the US capital, signing a $750,000 a month deal for six months renewable contract with the Republican-linked DCI Group to press Abuja’s case on visa policy, military cooperation, trade and tariffs, and to emphasise government efforts to protect Christians and Muslims and combat jihadist violence.

The scale of the contract dwarfs that of the shadowy and unknown Biafran Republic Government in Exile (BRGE), which is paying $66,000 a month to the smaller Madison & Washington lobbying firm to push for sanctions against Nigerian officials, greater US engagement with a putative Biafran administration, and even support for military strikes and favourable oil deals with Washington in an undefined future Biafra.

The oil rich Niger Delta does not consider itself part of a futuristic landlocked Biafra.

Both sides are targeting the same political terrain, tapping into conservative and evangelical networks close to the US President.

The lobbying scramble has unfolded alongside intensified US–Nigeria security contacts, including joint intelligence coordination and US air strikes on suspected jihadist targets in northern Nigeria over Christmas, underscoring how claims made in Washington are now intersecting directly with military, diplomatic and commercial decisions affecting Africa’s most populous country.

In the details of the latest contract to promote Tinubu’s cause in Washington, his supporters are paying the Republican Party-connected DCI Group $750,000 a month – via Aster Legal in Nigeria – to explain the Abuja government’s strategy to protect Christians and Muslims in Nigeria and secure US support to counter jihadist groups in West Africa, initially for a year, Africa Confidential reported.

The DCI Group fee is multiples higher than what the Biafran Republic Government in Exile is paying the Madison & Washington lobby company. This contract, announced on January 10 is remarkably ambitious for the fee of $66,000 with duration undisclosed.

Its aims include: seeking defence and security arrangements, counter-terrorism cooperation and engagement with US and international oil and gas companies under a hypothetical ‘new Biafran Administration’.

It argues that Christian-targeted violence in Nigeria is due to the complicity of the state under Tinubu and that a pro-US Biafran administration in south-east Nigeria would better serve US interests in the region and would also offer more favourable terms for US oil companies operating in ‘Biafra territory’. It failed to disclose that in the South-east zone, Christans are killing multiple Christians in separatist attacks.

Besides, the Pro Christian and Biafran-secessionist groups have been tapping into the religious right and evangelical Christian organisations in the US for a couple of decades, winning endorsement from senior Republican figures such as Ted Cruz (Texas R), who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and former Secretary of State (during Trump’s first term) Mike Pompeo.

According to the Africa Confidential report, such heavyweight supporters on the Christian-Biafra team may have prompted the Tinubu government and its supporters to splurge on a top-dollar lobby contract with ties to Trump’s circle in Washington.

Whatever their aims, Tinubu’s officials and their business supporters acted with extreme urgency according to the established timeline:

The timeline is as follows: On November 1, 2025, President Trump threatened to send troops into Nigeria ‘guns ablazing’ to stop what he called ‘a genocide against Christians’. Between November 2 and 19, Nigeria’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu’s team held discussions with the Department of Defense and other Trump-affiliated officials in Washington.

Besides, on November 20, Ribadu and Nigerian military intelligence officers met US Secretary for Defense Peter Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine in Washington.

In the same vein, between November 21 to December 23, Nigeria and the US set up a Joint Working Group to ‘share intelligence and speed up arms requests’ according to Abuja; the two sides coordinate over targets and intelligence sharing.

While the US air attacks on suspected jihadist fighters in Sokoto and Zamfara states were originally scheduled for December 24, this was shifted to December 25, wherein US Airforce launched missiles against suspected jihadists in northern Nigeria after President Trump insisted that the raids should be on Christmas day and warned there will be more to come.

On January 8, 2026 President Trump told the New York Times that there are likely to be further US air attacks on suspected jihadists in northern Nigeria, while on January 12, the DCI Group, with close Trump ally Roger Stone as advisor, announced it was being paid $750,000 for months, renewable subject to performance to explain the Tinubu government’s efforts to protect Christians and Muslims in Nigeria to the US administration.

The timeline of actions will continue into the 1st quarter of 2026 when the US Congress is to decide whether to approve $346 million precision bombs and rockets to Nigeria, via the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

The office of the NSA has confirmed that its effort with the Trump administration is yielding fruits, saying that they have received over a $100 million of military equipment in the last few weeks.

At least 12 Bell Textron AH1Z Cobra attack helicopters worth $997m are also due to be delivered to Nigeria by 2028, the report added.

DCI’s managing member Justin Peterson and senior Advisor Doug Davenport are to lead on the contract.

Trump appointed Davenport, who worked on the presidential campaigns of George W Bush and Elizabeth Dole, as his representative on the Financial Oversight Board for Puerto Rico. Davenport worked on the Trump campaigns in 2016, 2020 and 2024.

According to Africa Confidential which has published since 1960, another key figure, Diane London, is the contractor to DCI and is paying the company’s $750,000 fees on behalf of Aster Legal, which has offices in Nigeria and Florida.

“The filings don’t explain where Aster Legal raises the funds from – but insiders say it would come either from wealthy Tinubu supporters or indirectly from the government. Well plugged into Washington, London is also a commentator and a columnist for Newsmax, whose chief executive Christopher Ruddy is close to Trump.

“Insiders in Washington say the DCI lobbyists will focus on the Tinubu government’s moves ‘to protect Christians’. Tinubu is desperate to avoid being defined through a ‘Christian persecution’ lens and to preserve strategic cooperation (counter-terrorism support) and diplomatic alignment (Dispatches 22/9/25, Warlords to Washington).

“DCI’s lobbying rival on Nigeria – Madison and Washington – is a much smaller outfit despite having some influential friends in the US Congress. Its Chief Executive Elias Gerasoulis, 29, formerly a vice president and partner at Moran Strategies in the US capital, set up Madison & Washington and took the firm’s Biafran and Eritrean clients with him, announcing this on social media on 10 January.

“Joining Gerasoulis at Madison & Washington is Arman Dabiri, a Washington-based lawyer who was the legal counsel to Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi’s regime in the 2003 settlement where it accepted responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing and paid $2.7 billion to compensate the families of the victims (AC Vol 45 No 1, Fresh start for old faces).

“Gerasoulis, a Republican fundraiser who has donated funds to Ted Cruz, is trying to use the Trump administration’s claims of genocide against Nigerian Christians to promote Biafra’s independence. He wants to capitalise on the US’s designation of Nigeria as a country which violates religious freedom on 31 October last year which prompted Trump’s threats to attack Nigeria,” the report added.

Yet the so-called Biafran Republic Government in Exile, the publication said. is in turmoil. Madison & Washington’s contract is with Isaiah Harrison Anyaogu, aka Ogechukwu Nkere, who gives an address in Baltimore, Maryland and describes himself as the acting Prime Minister of the Biafran movement in exile, while his predecessors Nnamdi Kanu and Simon Ekpa have been detained in Nigeria and Finland respectively.

But it added that Nkere’s status has been disputed by the BRGIE’s governing council, which stated last August that he had been expelled and his position abolished. A letter signed by BRGIE governing council chair, Emma Maduabum, said that Nkere has cloned the BRGIE’s website and is ‘misleading Biafrans and the world, and collecting money from uninformed public’.

Gerasoulis will also lobby the White House to impose sanctions on Nigerian officials at federal, state and local level and will “explain to U.S. officials the role of Nigerian government proxies in Biafraland, such as the so-called Nigerian ‘Southeast Governors’, in acting against both Biafran and U.S. interests by conspiring with US adversaries.”

It accuses Nigeria’s south-east state governors of allowing ‘malign foreign influence, such as Iran, to the oil rich, strategic Gulf of Guinea’ and of being ‘complicit in Christian genocide and highly dangerous to U.S. interests’.

However, feelers from Aso Rock confirmed on Tuesday that the federal government has indeed engaged DCI Group, a United States–based public affairs and government relations firm, to support the country’s strategic engagement with the United States across diplomatic, security, trade, and values-based policy priorities.

The engagement, it was learnt, reflects Nigeria’s commitment to sustaining strong bilateral relations with the United States and ensuring clear, consistent, and credible communication of its policy actions, reform agenda, and national security priorities under the leadership of President Tinubu.

“Through this collaboration, Nigeria seeks to strengthen engagement with key U.S. stakeholders across government, Congress, policy institutions, faith-based leaders, the business community, and media platforms. The focus is on reinforcing mutual understanding around Nigeria’s democratic governance, religious freedom, economic reforms, and efforts to promote stability across West Africa.

“The engagement will support the communication of Nigeria’s actions to protect all citizens, including Christian communities and people of all faiths, from violent extremism and insecurity. It will also provide a structured platform to engage U.S. policymakers, faith leaders, and opinion shapers with accurate, evidence-based information on Nigeria’s evolving security environment and reform efforts.

“In the area of security, the collaboration supports Nigeria’s continued partnership with the United States in countering jihadist groups, transnational criminal networks, and other destabilising forces threatening regional stability and democratic institutions. It underscores Nigeria’s commitment to coordinated international action against terrorism and violent extremism,” a person with knowledge of the deal told THISDAY.

The engagement also prioritises strengthening trade and commercial relations between Nigeria and the United States. Similarly, strategic communication and stakeholder engagement will highlight opportunities for expanded investment and cooperation in energy, infrastructure, agriculture, technology, and other sectors critical to shared economic growth.

Additionally, the collaboration will support constructive dialogue on international religious freedom considerations, ensuring that Nigeria’s policies, reforms, and on-the-ground efforts are clearly understood within relevant U.S. policy frameworks and institutions.


Commenting on the engagement, a representative of DCI Group said: “We are pleased to support the Government of Nigeria in communicating its ongoing efforts to protect Christians and people of all faiths from radical jihadist groups and other destabilising elements, while also strengthening trade and commercial ties that benefit both Nigeria and the United States."

Besides, the Pro Christian and Biafran-secessionist groups have been tapping into the religious right and evangelical Christian organisations in the US for a couple of decades

winning endorsement from senior Republican figures such as Ted Cruz (Texas R), who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and former Secretary of State (during Trump’s first term) Mike Pompeo.

The office of the NSA has confirmed that its effort with the Trump administration is yielding fruits, saying that they have received over a $100 million of military equipment in the last few weeks.

At least 12 Bell Textron AH1Z Cobra attack helicopters worth $997m are also due to be delivered to Nigeria by 2028, the report added.

Putindbutt:
Elias Gerasoulis, the face of 👁️ Pob lobbyist

The US lobbyist doubled down on his characterisation of Nigeria, and referenced old allegations of a cloned Buhari as proof.

“Nigeria is not a true country, but an artificial neo-colonial construct of the British, to empower Northern Nigerian islamists (who the British viewed as easier to control) to dominate over everyone else,” he said.

“But I guess you like that, considering you worked for the former despot of Nigeria Buhari (or shall I call him Jubril of Sudan). Your so-called democracy is not real democracy, but a bad joke!”

LATEST UPDATES: EKPA’s BRGIE FIRES GERASOULIS AS LEAD LOBBYIST
https://authorityngr.com/2026/01/12/christian-genocide-ekpas-brgie-announces-gerasoulis-exit-renews-pact-with-dabiri/

FSBoperator:
They will continue to fail.

‘It is an honour to continue representing the BRGIE in Washington, DC, through my new government relations and international services firm. In a short period of time, we have succeeded in elevating Nigeria’s persecution of Christian and Biafran communities to the global stage.

As the international community increasingly recognizes new African states, such as Somaliland, we look forward to working closely with the U.S. government and the BRGIE to advance the establishment of an independent, pro-U.S. Biafran administration—one that serves both U.S. strategic interests and the aspirations of the Biafran people.”

Psalmistproject:
If there's any truth or credibility to this News and some people are happy, I weep for the country.
The money the federal government are spending, where does it come from, you the poor masses. So if a few wealthy Igbo billionaires decides to lobby then the Nigerian state will dip hands into the common wealth of the nation to chase shadows? And some people are happy with it? Mind you it's merely the case as most of the money is returned back to the politicians pockets as kickbacks and just very small is actually given compared to what is on the paper.
Either case another avenue to keep looting the entire country.

However I doubt if the assertion of this thread is even reasonable, considering there are countries that are enemies of the friends of the united states that can spend 10x their opposing lobbyists are spending but still US stays with the values it wants.

The US only acts according to its national interest, BIAFRA or Nigeria.

SisterAnn:
A disgraced country led by a disgraced president supported by disgraced supporters.

They will rather fritter away the nations resources on mundane things than do what is right.

Putindbutt:
You're a kid because you don't know how international diplomacy works. If you think Nigeria Govt will sit back and watch some enemies of the country set the country on fire, then you must be a clown. These enemies of the state are trying to lobby for the break up of the country, using the oil deposits in the Niger Delta to strike a deal.

If those losers have any sympathy for their people, they would have used that money for lobbying to create better economic value to their people who are fleeing their region for survival in other regions. They would channel those money into security trust funds to collaborate with the Governments of their region to ensure better security architecture that would put an end to sit at home in their region.

SisterAnn:
Same old trash.

Fleeing their region for survival...

Typical mentality of a backward entity.

SisterAnn:
Biafra would surely come and it will come on a platter of gold.

By the time Boko Haram begins to fully activate their sleeper cells in Oyo, Lagos, osun and ekiti and Ondo, Nigeria as we know it will naturally dissolve into thin air.

SisterAnn:
Biafra would surely come and it will come on a platter of gold.

By the time Boko Haram begins to fully activate their sleeper cells in Oyo, Lagos, osun and ekiti and Ondo, Nigeria as we know it will naturally dissolve into thin air.

Putindbutt:
So why are they fleeing their region?. What do they bring along when coming in night bus?. They had nothing before coming. They came to survive.

Putindbutt:
Why couldn't biafuro come when bandits were activating their sleeper cells in Enugu and Ebonyi?

FSBoperator:
Go sleep

We will give you your biafra with its five ibo states and nothing more and you will beg thereafter to remain in Nigeria.

SisterAnn:
Because it is waiting for Boko Haram to fully activate their sleeper cells in Oyo, osun, ekiti Ondo and Lagos.

By that time, you will start forming southern unity but will be told, to your tents oh Israel!

It argues that Christian-targeted violence in Nigeria is due to the complicity of the state under Tinubu and that a pro-US Biafran administration in south-east Nigeria would better serve US interests in the region and would also offer more favourable terms for US oil companies operating in ‘Biafra territory’.

It failed to disclose that in the South-east zone, Christans are killing multiple Christians in separatist attacks.

The oil rich Niger Delta does not consider itself part of a futuristic landlocked Biafra.

Putindbutt:
WHO IS GERASOULIS?

Gerasoulis works at Moran Global Strategies, a lobbying firm founded by Jim Moran, a former congressman. Advertisement Among the Greek-American lobbyist’s clients is the Biafra Republic Government In Exile (BRGIE).

This year, Gerasoulis and a coalition of Christian activist groups built a methodical campaign by sending letters of an alleged Christian persecution in Nigeria to US congress, and framing the south-east, where the proposed Biafra nation is located, as a marginalised, energy-rich area.

The lobbyist pushed this agenda by delivering briefings that gained traction in President Donald Trump’s orbit. In October, Gerasoulis and Ogechukwu Nkere, Biafra finance minister in exile, met with Ted Cruz, a US senator.

FSBoperator:
Go sleep

We will give you your biafra with its five ibo states and nothing more and you will beg thereafter to remain in Nigeria.