The Federal Government has hired a United States lobbying firm with close ties to President Donald Trump under a contract valued at up to $9m, as Abuja seeks to counter mounting pressure from Washington over allegations of targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria.
Documents filed with the US Department of Justice (DoJ) and seen by The Guardian show that DCI Group, a Washington-based public relations and lobbying firm, was retained to help communicate Nigeria’s security policies to the US government.
The filing indicates that the engagement was arranged through Aster Legal, a law firm based in Kaduna State, acting on behalf of Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s national security adviser.
DCI Group has long-standing links to Republican Party politics and to President Trump’s political network. Jim Murphy, a former president of the firm, served as national political director of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and managed floor operations at three Republican national conventions, according to New York Times.
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According to his bio on DCI Group website, another senior DCI Group executive, Justin Peterson, the firm’s managing partner, was appointed by Trump in 2020 as the president’s representative to the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico, a role he held until 2023. Before joining DCI Group, Peterson worked as a congressional aide on Capitol Hill and held senior roles in Republican political campaigns, including serving as Iowa political director for Senator Elizabeth Dole’s 2000 presidential campaign.
The contract, dated 17 December 2025, was signed by Oyetunji Olalekan Teslim, managing partner at Aster Legal, and Peterson on behalf of DCI Group.
Under the agreement, DCI Group is mandated to “assist the Nigerian government, through Aster Legal, in communicating its actions to protect Nigeria’s Christian communities and in maintaining United States support for counter-terrorism efforts against West African jihadist groups and other destabilising elements,” according to the filing.
The initial term of the contract is six months, ending on 30 June 2026, with an automatic renewal for another six months unless terminated. Either party may terminate the agreement without penalty by providing 60 days’ written notice, the document states.
Financial records attached to the filing show that Nigeria paid $4.5m to DCI Group on 12 December as a six-month retainer. The agreement sets the firm’s monthly fee at $750,000, payable in two instalments of $4.5m each.
“Client shall pay Consultant a monthly retainer of seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars ($750,000), being full payment of professional fees and expenses covered under this agreement,” the contract states.
The hiring of the lobbying firm comes amid heightened scrutiny from the US government over violence affecting Christian communities in Nigeria. In October, President Trump redesignated Nigeria as a “country of particular concern”, citing reports by US lawmakers and advocacy groups alleging systematic killings of Christians.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly rejected claims of a Christian genocide, describing the violence as part of a broader security crisis driven by jihadist insurgency, banditry and communal conflicts. Abuja has also pledged diplomatic engagement with Washington to address US concerns.
Tensions escalated in November, when Trump warned that the United States could intervene militarily in Nigeria if attacks on Christians continued, saying the US would go in “guns-a-blazing” to stop the violence.
On Christmas Day, US forces carried out airstrikes on two suspected terrorist enclaves in Bauni forest, Tangaza local government area of Sokoto State, according to US officials. On 10 January, Trump said further strikes could follow if attacks on Christian communities persisted.
The Guardian reported earlier that a coalition of pro-Biafra groups is behind the campaign of the “Christian genocide in Nigeria, leading President Trump to declare Nigeria a country of particular concern.
The presidency is yet to request for comment on the lobbying contract at the time of publication.
