Faith
Nigerian Christians Face Deadly Persecution
Faith Facts
- Boko Haram, Islamic State affiliates, and Fulani militant herders have carried out assaults on Christian communities in Nigeria.
- Efforts to hold the Nigerian government accountable include proposed U.S. legislation urging action against religious persecution.
- Advocacy groups and religious leaders highlight a pattern of targeted violence, with over 52,000 Christians killed and 20,000 churches attacked since 2009.
As believers around the world join in prayer for the persecuted church, Nigerian Christians continue to suffer brutal attacks at the hands of extremists. Government officials have pushed back against claims of genocide, even as pressure increases for accountability.
Servants of Christ are raising their voices to bring attention to the plight of innocent men, women, and children whose only crime is proclaiming the name of Jesus.
The Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act was introduced by Senator Ted Cruz, calling for U.S. measures to address the hostile atmosphere for believers in Nigeria.
Additionally, a petition from leading religious liberty advocates urges the U.S. government to place Nigeria back on the “Country of Particular Concern” list due to ongoing religiously motivated violence.
“The Nigerian government is directly violating religious freedom by enforcing Islamic blasphemy laws that carry the death penalty and harsh prison sentences against citizens of various religions.”
“It also demonstrably tolerates relentless aggression uniquely against Christian farming families by militant Fulani Muslim herders, who appear intent on forcibly Islamizing the Middle Belt.”
Fulani militant herders present the gravest danger to Christian families in Nigeria’s central region according to these advocates, aiming to seize land and erase longstanding Christian communities.
Churches across the nation stand firm, even as attackers destroy homes and farmland, driving believers to seek refuge in makeshift camps with scarcely any government support.
Despite numerous warnings, government forces often fail to respond to the looming threat, leaving faithful families vulnerable and without protection.
“The biggest threat facing Nigeria’s Christians comes from Fulani Muslim herders.”
“With cries of ‘Allahu Akbar’ and wielding AK-47s, they invade peaceful Christian farming areas in Nigeria’s central region, massacring families, burning homes and harvests, and driving millions of Christians from their ancestral lands.”
The surrounding political climate frequently downplays the religious root of these assaults, attributing violence to resource disputes rather than acknowledging the clear targeting of followers of Christ.
In heartfelt testimony, Bishop Wilfred Anagbe described his people as a church under extermination by Islamist forces.
“The experience of Christians in Nigeria can be summed up as a church under Islamist extermination.”
Nigerian Christians need our faithful prayers, advocacy, and unwavering commitment to the principles of liberty, just as our Lord calls us to stand with the persecuted. May we never forget those suffering for their faith in Christ.