The Persecution Of Christians In Nigeria
Nigeria is a country with a diverse population of over 200 million people belonging to different ethnic, religious and cultural groups. Christians make up about half the population and are mostly concentrated in the southern and central regions. In the past few years, Christians in Nigeria have faced increasing levels of violence, discrimination and persecution from extremist groups such as Boko Haram. According to a recent report on global Christian persecution, Nigeria accounted for 89 percent of Christians martyred worldwide. The report was done by Open Doors and was released in January 2023. It made it clear that Nigeria is one of the most dangerous places to follow Jesus in the world.
The main perpetrators of the persecution Christians face in Nigeria are Islamist Militants and armed bandits who have been attacking Christians with increasing impunity over the years. The most notorious group is Boko Haram, which has been waging a violent insurgency in the north east of the country since 2009, with the aim of establishing an Islamic State and imposing Sharia Law. Another group is the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a splinter group of Boko Haram that has been carrying out attacks in the Lake Chad region since 2016. A third group is the Fulani Herdsmen. These mostly Muslim nomads have been clashing with Christian farmers over land and resources in the Middle Belt and other parts of Nigeria. Some of these herdsmen have joined Islamist extremist groups and have been accused of committing atrocities against Christians, such as burning Churches, killing pastors, kidnapping women and children, and forcing conversions.
The persecution of Christians has been going on for decades, but it has intensified in recent years due to the rise of Islamist extremism and the spread of violence across the country. The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) is a Nigerian based research and investigative rights group. It estimates that over 50,000 Nigerian Christians have been brutally murdered by Islamist militants in the past 14 years. Majority of these deaths occurred during the eight year presidency of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who left office in May 2023. The year 2021 was a particularly deadly one, with almost 3500 Christians killed in a space of 8 months alone.
The Nigerian Government and security forces have been struggling to contain the violence and to protect the Christian population from attacks. They have launched military operations against Boko Haram and ISWAP, but these groups have proven to be resilient and adaptable. There are other causes other than religion which fuel the conflict between the Fulani herdsmen and Christian farmers that the government is also attempting to solve. These are things like land disputes, marginalization and poverty. These efforts have so far been hampered by corruption, mismanagement and political interference. Some Christian leaders have accused the government of being biased or complicit in the persecution of Christians, especially under the administration of the former President, Muhammadu Buhari, who is himself a Fulani Muslim.
The International Community has also expressed concern and condemnation over the situation in Nigeria. Several human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and Open Doors have documented and denounced the abuses against Christians. The United States, the United Kingdom and Canada are among some of the countries that have designated Nigeria as a country of particular concern for religious freedom violations. Some humanitarian agencies such as Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) have provided assistance and support to the victims of persecution and their families.
There is no easy or quick solution to end the persecution of Christians in Nigeria. However, some possible steps that could be taken include:
- Strengthening the capacity and accountability of Nigerian security forces to combat terrorism and criminality effectively and humanely.
- Increasing pressure and engagement from the International Community. The government of Nigeria must be encouraged to hold the perpetrators accountable. Protecting the lives and religious freedoms of Christians in the affected areas must be considered to be of the utmost importance.
- Dialogue and reconciliation between the differing ethnic and religious communities must be encouraged. Any of the other underlying issues driving the conflicts, such as poverty and land disputes, must also be addressed.
- Christians around the world should stand in solidarity with their persecuted brothers and sisters in Nigeria. They should provide assistance where they can, for example by pressuring their governments to loudly denounce the persecutions and loss of lives.
