Blood on the Breadbasket: The Systematic Extermination of Christians in Nigeria by Jeff Callaway
Blood on the Breadbasket: The Systematic Extermination of Christians in Nigeria
by Jeff CallawayTexas Outlaw Poet
An In-Depth Investigation into Africa's Forgotten Genocide
The sun hadn't yet risen over Yelwata on June 13, 2025, when the screaming started. Father Ukuma Jonathan Angbianbee heard the gunshots first, then the chanting—"Allahu Akbar"—echoing through the darkness. Armed men with rifles, machetes, and gasoline canisters were moving through the farming village in Benue State, systematically hunting Christians.
For two hours, the massacre continued. Families were locked in their homes and burned alive. Children were cut down with machetes as they tried to flee. A nine-month-old infant was hacked to death. Pregnant women were butchered. The internally displaced persons who had sought refuge in market stalls, fleeing earlier attacks in neighboring communities, were doused with fuel and set ablaze—entire families incinerated in their supposed sanctuary.
When dawn finally broke, between 160 and 280 bodies littered the ground. The exact count remains uncertain because many victims were burned beyond recognition. Christian prayer books lay scattered among the charred remains. The smell of death hung thick in the air as survivors searched through the debris, finding bones and human remains days later.
Father Angbianbee survived by committing his life to God and running. "When we heard the shots and saw the militants, we committed our lives to God," he later testified. "This morning, I thank God I am still alive."
Yelwata is approximately three miles from Makurdi, the capital of Benue State—the so-called "Food Basket of Nigeria." The massacre occurred one day after Nigeria's Democracy Day, hours after President Bola Tinubu renewed his commitment to "transforming Nigeria and protecting the lives and properties of its citizens."
This is not an isolated incident. This is not ethnic conflict. This is not a land dispute. This is genocide. And it's happening right now, while the world looks away.
The Scope of Slaughter
The statistics documenting Christian persecution in Nigeria are so staggering that the human mind struggles to process them. These aren't just numbers on a spreadsheet. These are fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, priests and children, believers whose only crime was bearing the name of Christ.
Since 2009, when Boko Haram launched its insurgency to establish an Islamic caliphate across Nigeria and the broader Sahel region, over 125,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria according to cumulative tallies by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety). This death toll surpasses the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. It represents a modern genocide unfolding in slow motion.
The violence has dramatically escalated. In 2024, at least 3,100 Christians were murdered and 2,830 kidnapped, according to Open Doors' World Watch List 2025. The pontifical charity Aid to the Church in Need documented 12 Catholic clergy members abducted that same year.
But 2025 has proven even deadlier. Between January 1 and August 10, 2025—just 220 days—Intersociety documented 7,087 Christians killed. That's an average of 32 to 35 Christians murdered every single day. Nearly 7,800 were kidnapped in those first seven months alone, with ransoms demanded totaling tens of millions of dollars.
Some monitoring groups, including Intersociety, put the cumulative death toll at 125,009 Christians killed through October 2025. Other calculations, accounting for broader religious violence and killings that go unreported in remote areas, suggest the true number could exceed 185,000 total deaths since 2010.
The Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa documented that between October 2019 and September 2023, at least 55,910 people were killed and 21,000 abducted by terrorist groups operating in Nigeria. A 2024 report revealed that Nigeria accounted for 90 percent of all Christians killed globally each year—more than the rest of the world combined.
Open Doors documented 43,952 Nigerian Christians killed specifically because of their religious affiliation from October 2011 to September 2025, noting these figures are conservative and based only on verifiable incidents. Between October 2024 and September 2025 alone, 2,800 Christians were killed—almost eight people per day.
Christians in northern Nigeria are 6.5 times more likely to be killed than Muslims in religiously motivated violence. They are 5.1 times more likely to be abducted. This isn't random violence. This is targeted extermination.
Beyond the killings, the infrastructure of Christian life is being systematically destroyed. Since 2009, over 19,000 churches have been burned to the ground—not damaged, but completely destroyed. Over 2,200 Christian schools have been incinerated, erasing educational opportunities for entire generations. More than 1,100 Christian communities have been displaced, with over 12 million Christians forced to flee their ancestral lands.
The violence has created 3.7 million internally displaced persons in Nigeria by the end of 2024, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre. Over 16.2 million Christians have been displaced across sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria representing the epicenter of this forced exodus.
The Geography of Genocide
Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation with over 230 million people, is roughly divided between a Muslim-majority north and a largely Christian south. The violence against Christians is concentrated in Nigeria's Middle Belt—the volatile region where these religious populations collide—and in the northeastern states where Islamic insurgency burns hottest.
Benue State, with a population of approximately 4.6 million and a landmass ten times the size of Lagos, has become ground zero for Christian persecution. Known as the "Food Basket of the Nation," Benue's fertile soil produces yam, rice, beans, cassava, sweet potato, soybean, and cocoyam. Over 70 percent of residents engage in farming. About 97 percent of Benue's population identifies as Christian.
This Christian farming community has become a primary target. Since President Tinubu assumed office in 2023, more than 10,000 people have been killed in attacks, with at least 6,896 murdered in Benue alone, according to Amnesty International data released in May 2025. In 2025, over 1,100 Christians were killed in Benue State. Nearly 300 have been murdered since April 2025 according to local media. At least 450,000 people in Benue have been documented as internally displaced.
The Diocese of Makurdi in Benue State alone saw 500 Christians killed throughout 2023. In the first three months of 2024, at least 239 were confirmed killed in Benue State. Father Moses Aondover Iorapuu, Vicar General of the Makurdi diocese, described the situation as "a manifestation of a dysfunctional society" where "every single attack changes the demographics of Christians."
Plateau State, bordering Benue, has suffered similarly catastrophic violence. Between December 2023 and February 2024, at least 1,336 people were killed in Plateau State according to Amnesty International, including 533 women, 263 children, and 540 men. More than 29,554 people were displaced during that same period, including 13,093 children and 16,461 women.
The 2023 Christmas season brought what is now known as "Black Christmas" or the "Christmas Eve Massacre." Between December 23 and 28, 2023, at least 200 to 295 Christians were murdered in coordinated attacks across multiple villages in Plateau State. These were not spontaneous eruptions of violence but carefully planned, simultaneous raids targeting Christian communities during their holiest season.
On Palm Sunday 2025, gunmen attacked worshippers in Plateau State, killing 51 Christians as they prepared to celebrate Christ's entrance into Jerusalem. In April 2025, coordinated attacks in Bassa County killed at least 51 Christians. An attack spanning several days in Bokkos district left more than 50 dead; Bokkos had previously witnessed a massacre in December 2023 where 200 were killed.
Between late May and early June 2025, over 36 people were killed across multiple predominantly Christian villages in Plateau including Kopmur, Mbor, Hokk, Pangkap, Fokoldep, Margif, Horop, Kwahas, and the Mushere area. In late May, nine people including a church leader were killed in Mushere. International Christian Concern estimates that nearly 1,000 people were killed in Bassa and surrounding areas of Plateau State between January and early June 2025, with over 200 fatalities in Bokkos district alone.
Around Easter 2024 in Plateau State, at least 39 Christians were killed. At least 17 Christians were murdered in attacks along the Plateau-Kaduna border in August 2025.
The Sankera massacre in April 2025 killed over 72 Christians in Benue. In May 2025, a series of attacks by Fulani herders killed up to 36 Christians, also in Benue. The Yelwata massacre in June has already been detailed—between 160 and 280 Christians slaughtered in a single night.
But the violence extends beyond Benue and Plateau. In Kaduna State, six Christians were shot dead on October 1, 2024, while observing Nigeria's Independence Day public holiday. The attackers, identified as Fulani militants, specifically targeted Christians, shouting "Allahu Akbar" as they carried out the assault.
In Kogi State, three local farmers were killed in Otutubatu village on the eve of Independence Day 2024. Fulani militants have attacked the area since 2023, with the most recent assault occurring in April 2024. Local sources confirmed to International Christian Concern that the violence—including the rape of local women—continues with no Fulani militants arrested.
In Agatu County, Benue State, suspected Fulani militias launched a deadly assault in October 2024, killing six people including two soldiers and the high-ranking monarch, His Royal Highness Chief Ezekiel Seni Aboh.
On August 18, 2025, at least 15 people including women and children were killed when armed men launched a coordinated evening assault on Christian farming villages in Chakfem District, Mangu County of Plateau State. The attackers entered seven villages between 7:30 and 8 p.m., firing weapons, burning homes, looting livestock, and displacing thousands.
On March 27, 2025, suspected Fulani militants killed 11 Christians during a nighttime raid on the Christian farming community of Ruwi B2 village in Bokkos County. Among the deceased were a pregnant woman, her husband, and a 10-year-old girl. Survivors described gunmen attacking without warning while mourners gathered to pay respects to an 87-year-old community elder. The attack unfolded over 45 minutes.
In January 2025, Boko Haram escalated attacks on Christian communities in Chibok, Borno State, displacing more than 4,000 Christians. In a series of coordinated raids, Boko Haram targeted the Christian villages of Njila, Banziir, Shikarkir, and Yirmirmug, burning homes, torching churches, and killing five people. Eyewitnesses reported that militants targeted Christians, intimidating them and demanding they convert to Islam or face death.
The pattern is unmistakable: Christian villages attacked, churches burned, believers slaughtered, survivors displaced. This is ethnic and religious cleansing, documented and ongoing.
The Massacres That Shock the Conscience
Certain attacks stand out for their sheer brutality and coordination, providing windows into the calculated nature of this genocide.
The Owo Church Massacre (June 5, 2022): During Pentecost Sunday Mass at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, gunmen opened fire on worshippers and detonated explosives. At least 40 Christians were killed, including children. Survivors described attackers firing indiscriminately into the congregation. This was not a rural village but a church in a town, attacked during one of Christianity's most sacred celebrations. The Islamic State West Africa Province later claimed responsibility.
The Chibok Schoolgirls Abduction (April 14, 2014): Boko Haram militants raided the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State, abducting 276 Christian schoolgirls. Many remain missing to this day. Those who escaped or were eventually freed described forced marriages to fighters, forced conversions to Islam, and witnessing countless killings. Maryamu Joseph, kidnapped for nine years, witnessed Christian killings and was subjected to forced indoctrination. The Chibok abduction became internationally known, but the girls' suffering continues while thousands of similar abductions receive no attention.
The Deborah Samuel Lynching (May 12, 2022): Deborah Emmanuel Yakabu, a Christian college student in Sokoto, was accused of blasphemy after forwarding a video to colleagues. A Muslim mob stoned her to death and burned her body outside her university. Following the lynching, groups of youths attacked Catholic sites including the Holy Family Catholic Cathedral at Bello Way, destroying church windows and the Bishop Lawton Secretariat, vandalizing vehicles. St. Kevin's Catholic Church was also attacked and partly burnt. Rhoda Rebecca Jatau, a Nigerian Christian, was later arrested on May 20, 2022, simply for forwarding a video of a Muslim denouncing the mob killing.
August 18, 2024, Umunze Parish Raids: Nigerian soldiers—not terrorists, but government military forces—stormed three Catholic parishes in Umunze. The very people tasked with protecting citizens became their persecutors. This incident exposes the complicity or at minimum the sectarian bias within Nigeria's security apparatus.
July 12, 2024, Borno Suicide Bombings: Eighteen people were killed by female suicide bombers in Borno State, a grim reminder that Boko Haram uses women and children as weapons.
These are not the actions of random bandits or economically motivated criminals. These are religiously motivated attacks designed to terrorize, convert, or eliminate Christians.
The Persecution of Priests and Religious
Catholic clergy have become specific targets in Nigeria's anti-Christian violence. Between 2015 and 2025, 145 Catholic priests and seminarians were kidnapped in Nigeria according to Agenzia Fides, the information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies. Of those, 11 have been killed and four others remain missing with their whereabouts unknown.
In 2024 alone, 13 Catholic priests were kidnapped, all of whom were eventually released. However, 14 total incidents occurred that year when including one priest murdered. In just the first three months of 2025, there were already 10 kidnappings of clergy—more than triple the same period in 2024—including two murders.
The Regional Episcopal Conference of West Africa (RECOWA) condemned the "incessant kidnapping and assassination of Catholic priests and religious in the West African region, describing the trend as an 'abnormality.'"
The provinces of Owerri and Onitsha in southern Nigeria and Kaduna in the northwest have seen the highest numbers of priest abductions. Owerri was most affected with 47 cases of kidnapping between 2015 and 2025. Despite this high number, all but two priests were released safely, suggesting effective rescue efforts or ransom payments. Onitsha province had 30 cases of priest kidnappings; one was killed. Kaduna State recorded the highest clergy death toll with multiple priests murdered, marking it as the most dangerous region for Catholic clergy.
Other Nigerian states with clergy deaths include Abuja with two priests killed, Benin where one priest was murdered, and Onitsha where one priest was also killed. Kaduna, Benin, and Owerri have kidnapped priests still missing. Lagos, Ibadan, and Calabar States have reported minimal cases, with all kidnapped priests safely released. Lagos in particular has remained the safest, possibly due to better policing, urban security measures, or lower religious militancy.
The attacks on clergy have intensified dramatically in 2025:
Father Mathew Eya (September 19, 2025): Shot and killed near Enugu State after attackers stopped his vehicle. His murder marked another priest martyred simply for serving his flock.
Father Sylvester Okechukwu (March 4-5, 2025): Kidnapped from his residence in the Diocese of Kafanchan on the evening of March 4 and found murdered in the early hours of March 5—Ash Wednesday. "The untimely and brutal loss has left us heartbroken and devastated," the diocese stated. "Father Sylvester was a dedicated servant of God, who worked selflessly in the vineyard of the Lord, spreading the message of peace, love, and hope."
Seminarian Andrew Peter (March 2025): The 21-year-old seminarian was brutally killed by kidnappers in the Diocese of Auchi, Edo State. He was kidnapped along with Father Philip Ekweli on March 3. "Doors and windows in both the rectory and church were pulled down accompanied by gunshots," said Father Peter Egielewa, director of communications for the diocese. While Father Ekweli was eventually released after ten days in captivity, Andrew Peter was murdered—a young man preparing for priesthood, killed before he could fulfill his vocation.
Father Moses Gyang Jah (February 19, 2025): Abducted from St. Mary Maijuju Parish in Shendam Diocese along with his niece and the Parish Council Chairman, Mr. Nyam Ajiji. The layman was reportedly killed. Father Jah and his niece remain in captivity.
Fathers Matthew David Dutsemi and Abraham Saummam (February 22, 2025): Both from the Catholic Diocese of Yola, they were abducted and as of this writing, their release has not been secured.
Father Cornelius Manzak Damulak (February 6, 2025): A priest of the Catholic Diocese of Shendam and student at Veritas University Abuja, he was abducted but later managed to escape from captivity.
Father Ukuma Jonathan Angbianbee (June 13, 2025): Survived the Yelwata massacre by divine providence, witnessing the slaughter of his parishioners.
Father John Ubaechu (March 23, 2025): Kidnapped in the evening along Ejemekwuru road in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.
Father Stephen Echezona (March 2025): Kidnapped while refueling his car at a petrol station in Ichida, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, but later rescued by a joint security team.
Reverend Wilfred Ezeamba (September 2025): Kidnapped and held for days before his release.
Father Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo (December 26, 2024): Murdered on St. Stephen's Day, the day after Christmas. The Diocese of his service appealed for prayers "for his eternal joy."
Sisters Vincentia Maria Nwankwo and Grace Mariette Okoli (January 7, 2025): Abducted from the Archdiocese of Onitsha. They were later released and are "in good health" according to their congregation, the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of Christ.
Father Isaac Achi, Seminarian Na'aman Danlami, and Benedictine Friar Godwin Eze (2023): Three Catholic clerics murdered for reasons of persecution in 2023. Twenty-five priests or seminarians and three women religious were kidnapped in Nigeria in 2023, making it the country with the highest number of Catholic clergy kidnap victims in the world that year.
Four Catholic Priests (2022): Murdered in Nigeria in 2022 alone, with 23 priests and one seminarian kidnapped during the year or remaining in captivity from previous abductions.
Between July 2023 and June 2024, no fewer than 7,568 people were abducted across Nigeria. SBM Intelligence, a security consulting firm, reported that kidnappers demanded approximately $32 million in ransom during this period. Eighteen Catholic priests were seized during this timeframe, with kidnappers demanding roughly $130,000 in ransom but being paid only about $1,400.
Between July 2024 and June 2025, at least 4,722 people were abducted and $170,000 paid in ransom. "Kidnapping has become a highly organized and pervasive criminal industry, rather than an isolated security problem," SBM Intelligence concluded. Slightly over 1,000 people have been killed during abductions.
Emeka Umeagbalasi, a leading Nigerian criminologist and director of the Catholic-inspired NGO Intersociety, believes church statistics are very conservative. "I'm aware of more than 250 Catholic clergy who have been attacked in the past 10 years," he said. "I'm also aware that more than 350 clergy belonging to other Christian denominations have also been attacked."
Archbishop Ignatius Ayau Kaigama of the Archdiocese of Abuja has strongly criticized the escalating kidnappings, explaining that the problem reflects poor leadership at all levels of government. "This reflects in the increasing level of poverty, irrespective of religious affiliation," he said. Kaigama added that "increased insecurity has continued to haunt our nation. The Boko Haram insurgents, herdsmen militia, bandits, and the so-called unknown gunmen have continued to unleash terror in different parts of the country."
The targeting of clergy is particularly insidious. Priests and religious serve as spiritual leaders, sources of hope, and symbols of Christian presence. Their kidnapping and murder sends a message to entire communities: even your shepherds cannot protect you. The ransom demands funding terrorist operations, forcing Christians to pay for their own persecution.
The Perpetrators: A Jihadist Coalition
The violence against Christians in Nigeria is perpetrated by a coalition of Islamic terrorist organizations and radicalized ethnic militias, all united by a common goal: the eradication of Christianity from Nigeria and the establishment of an Islamic caliphate.
Boko Haram: Founded in 2002, Boko Haram is a Salafi Islamist sect whose name means "Western education is forbidden." The group seeks to eliminate Western influence and establish an Islamic state governed by Sharia law across Nigeria and the broader Sahel region. Since launching its violent insurgency in 2009, Boko Haram has been responsible for tens of thousands of deaths.
Boko Haram views Christians as infidels who must convert, submit, or die. They have bombed churches during Christmas Mass, attacked seminaries, and specifically targeted Christian schools. They force Christian captives to convert to Islam at gunpoint. Those who refuse are executed. Christian girls are taken as sex slaves. Boys are indoctrinated as future jihadists.
The group operates primarily in northeastern Nigeria—Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states—but their influence and attacks have spread. They have displaced millions and created a humanitarian catastrophe across the Lake Chad Basin region.
Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP): In 2016, a faction of Boko Haram split off to form ISWAP, which became affiliated with ISIS core. ISWAP is one of ISIS's most active and lethal affiliates globally. The group controls territory around Lake Chad and conducts ambushes, kidnappings, and bombings across Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.
ISWAP primarily attacks military and government targets but also executes civilians, aid workers, and Christians. In one video, its fighters vowed to kill every Christian they captured "in revenge" for Muslims killed elsewhere. The U.S. State Department designated ISWAP a Foreign Terrorist Organization in 2018, and it was added to the UN sanctions list in 2020.
ISWAP has demonstrated tactical evolution and sophistication. Since January 2025, they have launched at least twelve coordinated attacks on military bases and infrastructure across Borno State. They use kinetic drones, complex assault tactics, and have received an influx of foreign fighters—often more ideologically rigid and militarily proficient—which suggests increased logistical support from Islamic State core.
ISWAP's significance in the IS global network is evidenced by hosting the Islamic State's Maktab al-Furqan (West Africa office). Their continued tactical advancement could significantly advance the strategic objectives of Islamic State core.
Witnesses report that ISWAP demands higher ransoms for Christian abductees than for Muslims, specifically to destabilize Christian families and churches. This is not random criminality. This is calculated religious warfare.
Fulani Militants: The Fulani are a nomadic ethnic group traditionally engaged in cattle herding. While most Fulani are peaceful, radicalized elements have formed jihadist militias that carry out deadly attacks against Christian farming communities, particularly in Nigeria's Middle Belt.
The Fulani militant problem is complex, blending economic competition over land with religious extremism. As desertification advances due to climate change, Fulani herders have been pushed south from traditional grazing lands into Christian farming territories. What began as disputes over land use has evolved into systematic religious violence.
Between 2019 and 2023, Fulani militants were responsible for 55 percent of Christian deaths in Nigeria's Middle Belt. This is not a resource conflict. Evidence of radicalization comes from countless victims who report Fulani attackers shouting "Allahu Akbar" and "we will destroy all Christians" during assaults.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) reported in July 2024 that about 30,000 armed Fulani bandits operate in northwest Nigeria where they "predominantly target Christian communities," often imposing illegal "taxation" on villages. USCIRF noted that Fulani militants, along with Boko Haram and ISWAP, aim to "impose a singular interpretation of Islam."
Many Fulani herdsmen have been radicalized by Islamic militants to conduct large-scale, systematic attacks against Christians using sophisticated weaponry far beyond what cattle herders would typically possess. The weapons, coordination, and targeting patterns indicate external support and ideological indoctrination.
Open Doors works closely with the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa for local statistics and notes that local Muslims who do not submit to the fundamentalists are also killed in significant numbers, though Christians are 6.5 times more likely to be killed and 5.1 times more likely to be abducted.
Additional Terrorist Groups and Criminal Gangs: At least 22 jihadist terror groups have made Nigeria their home. Beyond Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Fulani militants, various Muslim gangs and bandits contribute to the violence. The Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP)-linked Lakurawa group with origins in Mali and Niger was designated a terrorist organization by Abuja in 2024, evidencing militant spillover as terrorist networks strengthen across porous borders.
Although primarily motivated by profit, many criminal gangs have forged ties with jihadist factions such as Boko Haram and ISWAP, blurring the line between criminal and ideological violence. Christians are frequently targeted for abduction or extortion, and church leaders in Zamfara have received direct threats demanding church closures. Since 2011, over 12,000 people have been killed and more than 50,000 displaced in bandit-related violence.
The common thread uniting these groups is their targeting of Christians. While they may have different organizational structures and territorial controls, they share the goal of eliminating Christian presence from their regions of operation.
Government Complicity and Failure
The Nigerian government under President Bola Tinubu has proven either catastrophically incompetent or willfully complicit in the genocide of Christians. Over 10,000 people have been killed since Tinubu took office in 2023. Three million have been displaced. And the government's response has been denial, deflection, and inaction.
President Tinubu and his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, are both Muslim. When Tinubu assumed office, there was hope that his major cabinet reshuffle would provide better representative balance of faiths in leadership positions than under Buhari. It was hoped this would lead to acknowledging human rights violations against Christians and more effective intervention by security forces. However, according to Open Doors, "this did not happen to a tangible extent during the World Watch List 2025 reporting period."
The government consistently refuses to acknowledge the religious component of the violence, instead calling it "banditry," "ethnic conflict," or "farmer-herder clashes" over resources and climate change.
Nigeria's foreign ministry responded to international criticism by stating: "Any narrative that seeks to give such incidents a coloration of religious persecution is erroneous and misleading." They claim the violence affects all faiths equally.
But the data proves otherwise. Christians are 6.5 times more likely to be killed in northern Nigeria. They are 5.1 times more likely to be abducted. Over 19,000 churches have been destroyed. Christian schools and hospitals are systematically targeted. Attackers shout "Allahu Akbar" and demand conversions. Victims consistently report religious motivation.
Banditry doesn't target churches on Christmas and Easter. Banditry doesn't kidnap priests and demand they renounce Christ. Banditry doesn't burn Bibles and force conversions at gunpoint. This is jihad, and the refusal to name it as such is a betrayal of every Christian who has died.
Security forces have repeatedly failed to protect Christian communities or hold perpetrators accountable. Amnesty International has documented that authorities have failed to make arrests or prosecute attackers, prompting anger and mistrust among affected populations. The USCIRF warned that Nigeria's security forces have failed to curb the violence and that in some cases, local officials have been complicit.
The August 18, 2024 incident where soldiers stormed three Catholic parishes in Umunze demonstrates that government forces themselves can be perpetrators. When the military—which should protect all citizens—becomes sectarian, Christians have nowhere to turn.
Father Moses Aondover Iorapuu described the situation as "a manifestation of a dysfunctional society" where kidnappings and criminal acts continue because of government failure. "Every single attack changes the demographics of Christians.
These are wasted human lives, not mere statistics."
Emeka Umeagbalasi goes further, accusing the Nigerian government and military of outright complicity. "The government we have in Nigeria is for radical Islamism," he told Crux. "If Nigeria's security forces had boldly addressed law enforcement operations with impartiality, fairness, and without any form of bias, the challenges Christians are facing today would have become a thing of the past."
Umeagbalasi traces government support for jihad to former President Buhari, who served from 2015 to 2023. Buhari, the son of a Fulani chief, not only provided arms to Muslim militants but gave them major posts in his administration while consigning Christians to secondary roles. "Buhari's recent tenure saw increased Fulani jihadist access to state armories," Umeagbalasi noted. The former president worked at "Islamizing" the security agencies.
Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of Sokoto called Nigeria's situation a "criminal industrial complex" where those in power have turned governance into "purely criminal enterprise by the mindless looting of the treasury."
The collapse of regional security cooperation has made the situation worse. Niger's withdrawal from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in March 2025 following its 2023 coup compromised intelligence sharing efforts and disrupted joint military operations across porous borders. Chad also threatened to exit the alliance in 2024. Strained diplomatic relations between Abuja and Niamey following Niger's transition to junta-leadership created operational vacuums along the Niger-Nigeria border that jihadist and criminal groups have exploited.
Meanwhile, the ransom economy flourishes. Between July 2023 and June 2024, hostage-takers demanded $32 million in ransom for 7,568 people kidnapped. This money funds more terrorism, more weapons, more attacks. It's a vicious cycle that the government does nothing to stop.
International Response: Too Little, Too Late
For years, the international community largely ignored the genocide of Christians in Nigeria. While conflicts in other regions received extensive media coverage and robust diplomatic responses, Nigerian Christians suffered in silence.
That began to change when President Donald Trump designated Nigeria as a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC) for religious freedom violations on October 31, 2025. This restored a designation that had been removed under the Biden administration in 2023.
Trump's announcement was stark: "Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria" and "radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter." The designation allows for sanctions, aid restrictions, or other diplomatic measures.
On November 1, 2025, Trump escalated further, announcing he had directed the Pentagon to "prepare for possible action" in Nigeria. He warned that if the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the United States "will immediately stop all aid and assistance" and potentially "go into that now disgraced country."
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: "If the Nigerian Government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the U.S.A. will immediately stop all aid and assistance to Nigeria." He alleged that "Radical Islamists" in Nigeria were responsible for the "mass slaughter" of Christians.
The threat of military intervention and cutting aid represents the strongest U.S. response to date. Congressman Riley Moore of West Virginia, who has led the charge in Congress, called Nigeria "the deadliest place in the world to be a Christian" and demanded investigations into the massacres.
In September 2025, Senator Ted Cruz introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act, which aims to hold officials who "facilitate Islamic Jihadist violence and the imposition of blasphemy laws" accountable. The bill seeks to target officials who "facilitate violence against Christians" and those who enforce Islamic and blasphemy laws. Cruz stated: "It is the result of decisions made by specific people, in specific places, at specific times—and it says a great deal about who is lashing out now that a light is being shone on these issues. The United States knows who those people are, and I intend to hold them accountable."
The bill would designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, impose sanctions on officials complicit in religious persecution, and target those enforcing blasphemy laws. It represents a bipartisan effort to pressure Nigeria into protecting its Christian minority.
The European Union has also taken notice. In October 2025, the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning the "ongoing genocide against Christians in Nigeria" and calling for an independent investigation. The UK Parliament held hearings on the issue, with MPs describing the violence as "the world's most underreported humanitarian crisis."
Yet, despite these steps, the response remains insufficient. The United Nations has issued reports but no concrete action. Humanitarian aid flows, but without conditions tied to protecting Christians. Major media outlets like CNN and BBC give scant coverage compared to other global conflicts, leading to accusations of anti-Christian bias in Western journalism.
Why the silence? Some point to Nigeria's oil wealth and strategic importance. Others note the discomfort of confronting Islamist violence in a post-9/11 world wary of "Islamophobia." Whatever the reason, the result is the same: Nigerian Christians die while the world averts its eyes.
Survivor Stories: Voices from the Graveyard
Amid the statistics, it's crucial to remember the human faces. Maryamu Joseph, abducted by Boko Haram at age 13, spent nine years in captivity. She witnessed Christians executed for refusing to convert. "They would line them up and shoot them," she recounted after her release. Forced to marry a fighter, she bore children in the bush. Her story is one of thousands.
In Benue, survivors of the Yelwata massacre like Father Angbianbee continue ministering despite the trauma. "We have lost everything, but not our faith," he says. Widows in Plateau State raise children alone after husbands were hacked to death on Christmas Eve.
These voices cry out for justice. They demand the world listen.
A Call to Action: Ending the Genocide
The systematic extermination of Christians in Nigeria must end. Here's how:
* International Pressure: The U.S. should implement Trump's CPC designation with full sanctions. Cut aid until attacks stop and perpetrators are prosecuted.
* Accountability: Prosecute Nigerian officials complicit in the violence at the International Criminal Court. Designate Fulani militants as terrorists.
* Humanitarian Aid: Direct aid to Christian communities, bypassing corrupt government channels. Support rebuilding churches and schools.
* Media Amplification: Journalists must cover this genocide with the urgency it deserves. Social media campaigns can raise awareness.
* Prayer and Advocacy: Christians worldwide should pray and advocate. Contact representatives to support bills like Cruz's.
Nigeria's Christians are not statistics. They are brothers and sisters in faith, farmers feeding a nation, priests shepherding souls. Their blood cries out from the breadbasket.
If the world continues to ignore this genocide, we become complicit. The time for action is now—before another Yelwata, another Black Christmas, another forgotten massacre.
A Call to Humanity and to Christ
The blood of the innocent cries out. Not in whispers, not in numbers, but in screams that pierce the conscience of every human who claims to care. Nigerian Christians are being hunted, murdered, kidnapped, and displaced—mothers, fathers, children, priests, and seminarians. Their only “crime” is faithfulness to Jesus Christ. And yet the world largely looks away.
This is not a distant tragedy. This is a moral litmus test for every person who values human life, justice, and truth. Will we remain silent while genocide unfolds, or will we stand for the defenseless? Will we allow fear, political convenience, or indifference to shield us from the cries of those slaughtered in villages like Yelwata, Bokkos, Plateau, and beyond?
The Gospel calls us to action. Jesus said, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). These Christians are Christ Himself in their suffering. To defend them is to defend Him. To ignore them is to turn our backs on God.
We are called to pray. Not empty words, but fervent cries for deliverance, for protection, and for justice. We are called to speak. Raise your voices, write to representatives, amplify their stories, and demand accountability from governments who fail to act. We are called to act. Support Christian communities with aid, rebuild churches and schools, and refuse to allow terror to silence the faithful.
The time for half-measures is over. The time for hesitation is past. Every day Nigeria’s Christians are left unprotected, another Yelwata occurs. Every child kidnapped, every priest murdered, every widow forced to raise her family alone, is a call to arms—not with weapons of hate, but with weapons of righteousness: prayer, advocacy, justice, and love.
Come to Jesus. Stand for His people. Let your heart be moved by the suffering of the defenseless. The world can no longer turn away. We are the hands and feet of Christ on this earth. If we do not act, who will? If not now, when?
Rise, humanity. Rise, Church. Rise, believers of every nation. Lift your voices for the voiceless. Cry out for the persecuted. Protect the innocent. Defend the faith. Let the world know that Christian blood will not be forgotten, and that Jesus Christ is still Lord over the nations.
Let this be the moment where silence ends. Let this be the day that courage, faith, and love rise. The children of Nigeria, the widows, the priests, the believers, all cry to us. Will we answer?
Answer Him. Rise to His call. Defend His flock. Act now.
“Amen I say to you, whatsoever you have done to one of these least, you have done to me.” ~ Matthew 25:40
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