News about what’s happening to God’s people in Nigeria has gone viral. What’s the truth … and what can you do about it?
It seems at least some parts of the global community are starting to wake up to what’s happening to God’s people in Nigeria.
Videos, articles and stats about violent attacks against Christians in Nigeria have gone viral. Governments have taken notice. Nigerian officials have responded. And the usual back and forth has taken place on social media and on websites from all over the world.
But amid all the noise and misinformation, there is the truth. And the truth is that Nigeria is the most violent place in the world for followers of Jesus.
It can be hard to face this simple fact when something is posted on social media and then reacted to on other social media. That’s why we must be clear about what’s happening in Nigeria—and help others see how they can break the silence around this issue even more. Here are 10 things you need to know about what’s really going on in Nigeria:
1. Christians are, indeed, under attack …
Several Islamic militant groups have built up a major presence in Nigeria—particularly in the Muslim-majority north of the country. Among these are Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). ISWAP has ties with the same extremist groups and ideologies that occupied parts of Syria and Iraq 10 years ago. Both Boko Haram and ISWAP want to build an Islamic state where only their extreme interpretation of Islam is allowed.
In recent years, other lesser-known Islamist militant groups have also started operating and are pushing into new areas, including into the south of Nigeria.
In addition, radicalized and armed members of the Fulani ethnic group have wreaked havoc in the Middle Belt of Nigeria. The Middle Belt is predominately comprised of Christian areas. The violence is staggering—Fulani militants are responsible for 55% of recorded Christian deaths between 2019 and 2023.
All these groups have unleashed waves of violence across the area, with thousands killed every year and millions driven from their homes—often these people are living in horrific conditions in IDP camps, unable to return home.
2. … But the violence is regional.
This level of violence is not equal across all of Nigeria. Most of the violence takes place in the northern parts of Nigeria. Many Christians living in the south—particularly in places like Lagos, the most populous city in sub-Saharan Africa—don’t face daily violence for their faith in Jesus. But with increasing frequency, violence has begun to spill into some southern, Christian-majority states.
3. This is a religious conflict … but it isn’t only religious in nature.
A tangle of different factors are at play in Nigeria. A significant factor is power and control. The extremists all want control, to rule over the land and the people who live there. Another is povert—if you have nothing, you are susceptible to radicalization by Islamist groups.
For the Fulani people—who are mostly nomadic herders—a real factor is scarcity of resources brought on by climate change, which has driven herding groups further south in search of fertile land for their cattle. This is compounded by Christians owning most of the farming land.
However, elements of the Fulani tribe have been radicalized with violent Islamist ideology that justifies subjugating Christians as infidels. This creates an environment where religion is a key component of the violence.
4. Yes, Christians are being targeted.
This is a hotly contested claim, not least by the Nigerian government. However, the statistics show a clear pattern.
Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have explicitly and repeatedly declared Christians as targets. And many victims have told us that when Fulani militants attack, they don’t just shout “Allahu Akbar” (“God is most great”)—they also yell, “We will destroy all Christians.”
According to the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, who has painstakingly collected data on civilian violence and deaths in the region, the trends are clear: More Christians are killed by the extremists than Muslims—given the relative population size of Muslims and Christians in northern states. In fact, if you are a Christian, you are 6.5 times more likely to be killed than a Muslim and 5.1 times more likely to be abducted. This does not make the suffering of a Muslim less tragic; it just makes it less likely.
Making matters more complicated is a serious problem with lawlessness in northern Nigeria. Kidnapping is big business, funding Islamist expansion and tied to active terrorist groups, with more than 20,000 people abducted from 2019 to 2023. Many of these bandits have been known to target anyone who will pay a price—but they have learned that Christians, and specifically religious leaders, can fetch a higher ransom. This makes the Christians and religious leaders specifically vulnerable targets.
5. It’s not just in Nigeria.
Radical Islamist violence is spreading across many nations in sub-Saharan Africa. Islamic militants and radicalized criminal gangs are exploiting existing conflicts, insecurities and poverty across sub-Saharan African nations such as Sudan and Eritrea in the east, Niger and Burkina Faso in the west, the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa and as far south as Mozambique. Again, there are numerous different agendas and motives. However, there is a common thread: extremist Islamist ideologies attempting to gain control of whole regions of Africa and persecuting Christians and others who do not adhere to their ideologies.
However, Nigeria is the epicenter of this violence, and if it goes unchecked there with millions more displaced from their homes, the implications for the rest of the continent are huge.
6. We must listen to the victims
It’s vital to give those closest to the violence a voice, rather than just discuss statistics from a distance. Survivors tell us of the brutality of Boko Haram and ISWAP who have publicly and repeatedly said they would rid the nation of Christians and infidels. They tell us stories that upon being kidnapped, their captors say things such as, “If you were Muslim, you wouldn’t be tortured like this,” or that the kidnapped believer could end their suffering “if they just proclaim to be a Muslim.”
7. We need to stop debating controversial terms—and instead speak up now.
Since the news about the violence went viral, many people are discussing if what’s happening to Christians is a “genocide.” Genocide is an emotive word. Under international law, it requires specific elements to be met—it isn't enough that many people are killed; you must prove that the purpose of the act is intended to destroy in whole or part a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. You must prove this is the intent of those perpetrating the violence … and this isn’t easy to do.
More importantly, there is a high threshold to call something a “genocide” because under international law, it triggers a responsibility of governments to take action. Therefore, the use of the word too often then leads to a debate about terminology rather than discussing concrete actions needed to address the situation.
It seems clear that a reasonable risk exists that Boko Haram, ISWAP and the Fulani militants have committed international crimes, whether we call it genocide, ethno-religious cleansing, or crimes against humanity. Governments and international bodies like the United Nations should investigate this further—but not at the expense of immediately providing much-needed assistance. Millions are displaced now. Thousands are being killed now. We need to break the silence and bring healing now, not wait for terms to be settled.
8. The media hasn’t always gotten it right.
It’s unlikely that the media have been deliberately ignoring the violence. And indeed, the topic of violence against Nigerian Christians finally appears to be gaining some traction in the secular media—it has been regularly discussed in Christian media.
However, many secular journalists have been quick to accept the Nigerian government’s claims of the violence being non-religious. They will, for instance, describe Fulani militant attacks as “clashes” between farmers and herders (rather than targeted attacks by militants armed with automatic weapons on defenseless Christian villagers).
9. People are losing faith that the government will actually act.
The government has arrested and prosecuted some from Boko Haram and ISWAP; however, the same vigor of prosecution is less present with Fulani militants.
People on the ground do not trust that anyone will pay for their violent crimes. This is because Nigerians have seen hundreds of suspects arrested over the years and then most of them released, having never been charged or brought to trial.
The right to life, guaranteed under Section 33 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, is meaningless unless the state acts decisively to punish those who violate it. The ongoing culture of impunity will only result in more bloodshed and continue to erode public trust in the rule of law.
10. You can make a difference.
It is time to break the silence over the slaughter occurring in Nigeria. Join Open Doors’ Arise Africa campaign and sign our petition (if you haven't yet) that calls for security, justice, and restitution.
SIGN THE PETITION
Raise your voice in petition, and call on the international community to take notice, take action and bring about restoration. Pray for Nigeria and its government. And pray for your brothers and sisters in sub-Saharan Africa who risk so much simply because they follow Jesus.
