Christianity Under Siege: The Deadly Reality of Religious Persecution in Nigeria

 Christianity Under Siege: The Deadly Reality of Religious Persecution in Nigeria In the heart of Africa, Nigeria stands as a giant geograph...

 Christianity Under Siege: The Deadly Reality of Religious Persecution in Nigeria

In the heart of Africa, Nigeria stands as a giant geographically, economically and demographically. But beneath its surface lies a deep-rooted crisis that is slowly, yet systematically, erasing an entire religious identity. Christianity, once a flourishing faith in Nigeria’s middle-belt and southern regions, is now being violently and unapologetically persecuted. The silence of the world, including powerful nations like the United States, is only deepening the tragedy.

When U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Nigeria during President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime, there was hope among many Christian communities that the visit would bring global attention to the systemic persecution they were enduring. Instead, what followed was a devastating betrayal. Blinken removed Nigeria from the U.S. State Department’s religious freedom watchlist despite overwhelming evidence of violence against Christians by Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen, and even elements within Nigeria’s security forces.

That move gave the Nigerian government a signal: the world wasn’t watching, or worse, it didn't care. The Fulani militia, a shadowy yet well-organized network of Islamic armed herdsmen, intensified their onslaught across Christian-dominated communities killing, burning homes, displacing thousands, and destroying places of worship.

According to the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), more than 50,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria since 2009. Over 30,000 of these deaths occurred during President Buhari's administration between 2015 and 2023. His successor, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has shown little interest in reversing the trend, with reports already surfacing of continued violence against Christian communities in states like Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Enugu, and Ebonyi.

In 2022 alone, nearly 5,000 Christians were killed. In just the first three months of 2023, over 1,000 Christians were reportedly slaughtered in various targeted attacks. ([Source: The Christian Post]

These are not just statistics. Behind each number is a child who will never see their parents again, a woman widowed, a pastor slaughtered in front of his congregation, and entire villages reduced to ashes.

The United Nations, the African Union, and world powers like the United States have chosen diplomacy over humanity. Secretary Blinken’s decision to delist Nigeria from religious freedom concern was an affront to the suffering of millions. Nigerian Christians felt abandoned by a world that prides itself on defending human rights and religious liberty.

President Buhari’s government not only turned a blind eye to these atrocities it appeared to empower them. Reports indicate that the Nigerian military, under Buhari's command, either failed to intervene or, in some cases, assisted Fulani militias by disarming local Christian militias, leaving them defenseless. While Boko Haram and Fulani terrorists wielded sophisticated weapons including AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades Christian communities often had nothing more than hunting rifles or machetes to protect themselves.

It is time we call it what it is: a religious war disguised as communal conflict. The Fulani herdsmen, mostly of Islamic background, are systematically invading predominantly Christian communities. They are not just looking for grazing routes. They are conducting what can only be described as a slow-moving jihad, displacing indigenous people and establishing dominance.

In recent months, Fulani militias have been gathering in areas like Utonko in Benue State, reportedly planning assaults on bordering regions in Enugu and Ebonyi. According to intelligence sources including IPOB (Indigenous People of Biafra), many of the recent coordinated attacks in Enugu State were traced back to Utonko. These militias have access to arms, logistics, and strategic command elements that suggest support from powerful quarters, possibly within the military or political structure.

The average Igbo or Middle Belt Christian youth today is likely untrained in combat or survival tactics. Meanwhile, Fulani children born and raised around cattle and conflict know how to use firearms by age 12. If a full-scale jihad were to erupt, Christian communities would be slaughtered within weeks. This isn't fear-mongering; it is a realistic assessment of the imbalance in firepower, training, and governmental support.

The question then becomes: what are Christian communities doing to prepare? Who is sounding the alarm? Why is the Nigerian church, which once stood as a pillar of social resistance, now retreating in fear and compromise?

Nigeria, as it stands today, is a failed colonial experiment, a British invention held together by force, lies, and oil revenue. The ethnic and religious imbalance in governance is no longer a secret. Since 2015, the presidency and most key security posts have been held by Muslims, especially from the North. This concentration of power has emboldened groups like the Fulani militias and made Christian populations second-class citizens in their own country.

The call for a sovereign Christian-majority state is gaining momentum not just in the Southeast but across Middle Belt regions who feel abandoned by Abuja.

*The United States must rethink its foreign policy. If Nigeria refuses to protect its Christian citizens, then it forfeits its legitimacy as a united country. The United States should not continue to view Nigeria as a strategic ally while genocide is unfolding within its borders. Direct diplomatic and humanitarian engagement with Biafra should begin immediately.

The killing of Christians in Nigeria is not a communal conflict. It is not farmer-herder clashes. It is not a misunderstanding. It is a genocidal campaign of religious and ethnic cleansing, enabled by a corrupt and complicit state.

Christians worldwide must rise in solidarity. The Vatican, the World Council of Churches, evangelical leaders, and humanitarian organizations must all speak with one voice. The time for silence is over.

If the world could say "Never Again" after Rwanda, after Darfur, and after Bosnia, then now is the time to prove it. Nigeria is bleeding. Its Christians are dying. And every moment of inaction pushes an entire faith community closer to extinction.

Family Writers Press International.