The upcoming Easter period is anticipated to be challenging and distressing for Christians in Nigeria.Â
Despite the fact that 46% of the population is Christian, the targeting and persecution of Christians by Islamist militants in an effort to establish a Muslim caliphate in the country continue unabated.
“Nigeria’s Christians are facing systematic eradication; we must acknowledge it for what it is — genocide,” stated Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern (ICC), a watchdog organization focused on persecution.
“Let’s consider the horrific incidents on April 2-3, 2025, in Nigeria’s Plateau State’s Bokkos County. More than 60 Christians were brutally murdered, and 383 homes were set ablaze,” King revealed. “Families perished in fires, and children were left homeless. It’s truly heartbreaking. The most concerning aspect is that this is not an isolated incident. It’s been ongoing for two decades and has only intensified.”
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At least 51 Christians were killed in another attack in Nigeria’s Plateau State. (Reuters)
According to King, Nigeria has become a dangerous place for Christians, and this violence is not sporadic. He provided statistics validated by local leaders in Nigeria.
“There is a deliberate effort by the Fulanis to eliminate Christians from their native land, Nigeria’s Middle Belt region. Since 2001, around 100,000 Christians have been slaughtered, and 3.5 million farmers have been displaced by Fulani Islamist militants. They arrive armed with AK-47s, machetes, and gasoline, with no one intervening. For two decades, the government has remained inactive.
“These attacks are not random; they are part of a larger plan to seize land under the guise of tribal disputes. What we are witnessing is an extensive and prolonged campaign of stealth jihad.”
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A woman who lost her husband in an attack reportedly conveyed to the ICC, “They want our land, our lives, our Jesus.”
Just recently, as reported by the ICC and local sources, 54 Christians were killed following a Palm Sunday service in the village of Zikke, near Jos. The assault lasted for an hour without any intervention from authorities.
Members of St. Leo Catholic Church hold a procession to mark Palm Sunday in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, April 13, 2025. (Adekunle Ajayi/Getty Images)
Members of Open Doors UK in Nigeria shared with Fox News Digital a list of additional attacks in Nigeria over the past month.
- March 24 — Dundu village, Bassa LGA. Militants ambushed three Christian farmers while they were cultivating their land.
- March 27 — Ruwi community, Bokkos LGA. Fulani militants killed 11 Christians attending a funeral.
- April 2. — Bokkos LGA, Militants attacked Tamiso village, where women were having a Christian fellowship meeting at a COCIN (Church of Christ in Nations) church, killing at least five. The village of Dafo was also attacked, killing two.
- April 6 — Militants killed four people in Pyakmula village in Bokkos LGA.
- April 7 — Harra village in the Bassa LGA killing three people.
- April 8 — Three separate attacks were launched, killing at least two in Bassa LGA.
- April 11 — Militants attacked Zogu village in Bassa LGA, killing three people, a father and his two sons. The father was beheaded by the militants, according to OD field contacts.
Nigeria is rated seventh on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watchlist, an annual index of countries where Christians face severe persecution.
“Christians in northern and central Nigeria are encountering extreme violence from Boko Haram, ISWAP (Islamic State West African Province), and armed Fulani militants who have killed thousands of believers, destroyed hundreds of churches, and displaced entire Christian communities,” stated Ryan Brown, CEO of Open Doors US. “The recent attacks in Plateau State are yet another chapter in this ongoing crisis of religious persecution.
“These attacks have devastated communities that were still recovering from the Christmas Eve massacre that killed approximately 200 Christians in the same region in 2023.”
Nigerian soldiers secure the area outside St. Francis Catholic Church in the town of Owo, Nigeria, June 6, 2022, a day after an attack that targeted worshippers. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)
Families have been left without male providers, while women and children often face sexual assault, added Brown.Â
“Survivors are now residing in at least four displacement camps, struggling with food insecurity and lacking access to education or safe places to worship,” Brown emphasized.
Bishop Ayuba Matawal has identified the Islamist assailants. Matawal serves as the chairman of the Nigerian Bokkos Internally Displaced People’s Welfare Committee.Â
“It appears that some of these extremists have been influenced by an ideology of seizing land from Christian communities, following the vision of Uthman dan Fodio to spread Islam across Nigeria,” he remarked. “Despite their small numbers, these extremists have inflicted significant harm on Christian communities.
ICC’s King informed Fox News Digital that he is urging the State Department to designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC).”Â
This designation by the U.S. government would entail sanctions, pressure, and tangible consequences.
King also believes that the U.S. should  “discontinue all financial and military assistance to Nigeria until we observe a meaningful decrease in attacks, the arrest of perpetrators, and the restoration of lands.”
Rangers patrol at the Kainji Lake National Park in Nigeria’s Niger State in February 2023. (Nigerian Conservation Foundation via AP)
Although not directly addressing the attacks on Christians, a State Department spokesperson informed Fox News Digital, “The United States remains deeply concerned by the ongoing violence in West Africa, including in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region. Our condolences go out to the families of the recent victims of violence in Plateau State.
“We are actively engaging with the Nigerian government at the highest levels to address the underlying causes of the violence, and we are strongly advocating for the protection of all citizens.
“We acknowledge President Tinubu of Nigeria’s commitment to tackling the root causes of the violence and urge the government to take substantial and decisive actions to prevent future attacks, ensure accountability for perpetrators, and promote long-term peace and stability.”
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Bishop Matawal in Nigeria cautioned that during this Easter weekend, “Christian communities must remain vigilant, especially during church services and religious gatherings.”
“Nigerian Christians are enduring immense hardships daily, yet their hope remains steadfast, much like the resurrection,” mentioned King. “Easter symbolizes victory over death, and these Christians are exemplifying that. Let us raise our voices and declare ‘we hear you, we stand by you, hold on a little longer.’
Fox News Digital reached out to the Nigerian government but did not receive a response.
