The Untold Story of Christian Genocide in Nigeria
Dear Prayer Partners,
It is with a burdened yet hopeful heart that we bring to you Faith Under Fire, to inform you about the Christian persecution in Nigeria. In these pages, you will find the sobering realities of what the Christians in Nigeria are facing – death, losses, displacement, persecution, and unimaginable suffering.
Nigeria today stands at the frontlines of some of the world’s most violent and targeted attacks against Christians.
Entire communities have been uprooted, families shattered, and churches reduced to ashes. Yet, in all of this, the Church in Nigeria remains steadfast in proclaiming Christ, upholding hope, and standing firm in the face of relentless opposition.
As partners in the Great Commission, we believe it is vital not only to be aware of the challenges faced by the global Church but to stand in solidarity with those who suffer for bearing the name of Jesus. This magazine is more than an informational report, it is a call to prayer, a call to compassion, and a call to action.
We invite you to journey through these stories with us. Let the testimonies of the persecuted strengthen your faith.
Let their endurance inspire your commitment. Together, we echo the words of Scripture: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26).
Serving till He comes.
A NATION AT THE CROSSROADS
Nigeria stands today as the epicenter of one of the world’s greatest spiritual and humanitarian crises.
Despite its population, influence, and economic potential, Nigeria has become one of the most terror-stricken countries in the world. According to the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, Nigeria remains among the world’s top hotspots of violent extremism. Terror groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) continue to unleash devastating attacks—bombings, kidnappings, targeted assassinations, mass killings,
etc.
While some regions of the world have seen significant declines in terrorism, the Sahel region, which includes northern Nigeria, has experienced the opposite: a sharp increase in extremist activity. This concentration of terror highlights the enormous challenges countries like Nigeria face in combating ideologies that thrive on instability, poverty, corruption, and religious intolerance.
One indicator of this growing insecurity is the kidnapping epidemic. According to Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics, families paid N2.23 trillion ($1.536 billion USD) in ransom between May 2023 and April 2024. Kidnapping has become a terror to the nation’s economy, one that grips families, communities, and institutions with fear.
One heartbreaking example occurred in August 2024, when twenty christian medical students from the University of Jos were abducted while traveling to Enugu (a state in the Southeastern part of Nigeria) for a conference. Their captors demanded millions of naira, plunging their families and institutions into fear and uncertainty. Though they were eventually released, their ordeal mirrors thousands of similar stories unfolding across the nation.
THE COST OF BEING A CHRISTIAN IN NIGERIA
Nigeria is widely recognized as one of the most dangerous places on earth to be a Christian. The numbers alone are staggering. According to Open Doors research, more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined. More than 16.2 million Christians in sub-Saharan Africa, including high numbers
from Nigeria, have been driven from their homes by violence and conflict. Millions now live in displacement
camps.
The perpetrators of this violence include Boko Haram, ISWAP, and extremist Fulani militias who see Christian
communities as enemies. Their attacks include:
- Burning churches
- Massacring Christian villages
- Destroying farmland and food sources
- Targeted assassinations of pastors and leaders
- Kidnapping believers during services
- Forcing entire communities into displacement
And while the world’s attention has often been on northern and middle belt regions of Nigeria, Christian persecution has now spread to the Southeastern and Southwestern regions where some entire Christian communities have been wiped out or displaced. Survivors describe the violence as more organized, more targeted, and more relentless than ever before.
This level of violence against the Christian faith is unparalleled globally, making Nigeria a critical focus for the international Christian community.
Terrorism in Nigeria cannot be separated from the persecution of Christians. These extremist groups operate with a deliberate Islamic agenda: to uproot Christian presence, impose radical religious laws, and control territories through fear.
Their strategies include:
- Systematic displacement of Christian populations
- Destruction of key institutions such as churches and
schools - Kidnappings intended to terrorise and silence the
Church
As a result, millions of Christians have been forced from their homes, creating one of Africa’s largest internal displacement crises. Families who once lived peacefully now survive in makeshift camps, relying on churches and NGOs for food, shelter, and emotional healing.
Terror and persecution: two sides of the same strategy
The intertwining of terrorism and persecution has produced a cycle of suffering, eroding Nigeria’s stability
and threatening the social fabric of communities that have coexisted for generations.
THE DARK REALITY OF 2025
A year of bloodshed, grief, and unanswered cries.
A report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) reveals that 7,087 Christianswere massacred in the first 220 days of 2025—an average of 32 believers killed every day. For years, the Nigerian government has downplayed the scale of the violence, framing it as a “herders-farmers clash” but survivors, communities, and unbiased research tell a different story—one of coordinated, systematic extermination. The government have continued to downplay the pain and suffering of the people. They have denied the obvious because of their political interest. This shows that the problems the nation is facing regarding security is nothing but a gross failure in leadership. Political leaders are so callous, trading the wellbeing of the citizens for their personal interest.
VOICES OF THE VICTIMS
Recently, our media team visited two communitiesin Riyom Local Government Area near Jos. They met victims who had been displaced from their homes for some time. A few months ago, there were over 200 victims who were struggling to survive in an overcrowded, unsuitable community hall in one of the villages, because they had been chased from their villages. One of the widows narrated how her husband was killed, and they now live in this new community. Other persons shared stories of losing spouses, children, homes, and entire life histories. Many are traumatized, carrying both physical and emotional wounds
THE BINDI MASSACRE
July 15, 2025 – A night of horror
On that night, Fulani militants stormed the Christian community of Bindi at around 3:00 a.m. By dawn: 27 people lay dead – 13 children, 9 women and 5 men. The militants burned houses, including the pastor’s home, where nine people were killed, among them a one-month-old baby. The attackers mutilated the baby’s body in an act too evil to fully comprehend. We walked with the community to the mass gravesite, the silence there speaking louder than words. The community recieved threats from their attackers of possible reinvasion of the community. To survive the ongoing threats, the community now sends their women away every evening—returning only when daylight brings temporary safety.
This is only one community in one region. There are thousands more across Nigeria living the same nightmare.
THE STATE OF THE NATION
As the security situation worsens all over the country, especially the abduction of school children, some states have instructed all elementary, middle and high schools to shut down until the situation is looked into. Currently, the Haven of Hope Academy, Jos, which is one of the projects of IOI has also vacated.
HOW CAN WE HELP?
Nigeria remains one of our major mission fields. We ask that you continue to:
- Pray for Nigeria: pray for protection, healing, restoration, and strength
- Pray for the Church: pray for believers who remain on the frontlines of persecution
- Support the Victims: food, shelter, medical aid, trauma counseling, and rebuilding efforts are urgently needed.