HARARE, January 24. /TASS/. A high-ranking US delegation, led by US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, has expressed its concern over the recent abduction of 177 Cristians by terrorists in Nigeria, the Punch newspaper wrote.

A total of 177 believers attending Sunday service were abducted from three churches in the Nigerian state of Kaduna on January 18, but 11 of them managed to flee. On January 22, the terrorists and their hostages were spotted moving in woodlands not far from the initial abduction site.

"We are concerned about recent reports that gunmen kidnapped more than 170 Christians in Kaduna State on January 18. The Government of Nigeria must do more to protect Christians and their right to practice their faith freely and safely," the newspaper quoted Hooker as saying during her visit to Abuja.

In her opinion, the incident in Kaduna illustrates the government’s constant security failures, which it should immediately start addressing. In her opinion, advancing religious freedom and security would deepen the US-Nigeria relations in other areas, including trade, economic cooperation, health responses and the fight against terrorism.

The US-Nigerian relations have seriously deteriorated as of lately, because US President Donald Trump classified Nigeria as a country of particular concern due to ongoing reports about violations of religious freedoms. The government of Nigeria has consistently denied allegations of persecuting Christians, saying that security issues affect all religious groups in the country without exception.