"A Cry in the Dark: Christians in Nigeria Face Genocide While the World Watches"
This Easter, while millions gather in worship and celebration across the world, the Christian communities of Nigeria kneel in fear, surrounded by the deafening silence of the international community. The brutal truth is clear: Christians in Nigeria are being systematically hunted—and it’s time the world calls it what it is: genocide.
A Pattern of Massacres—Not Isolated Incidents
In Nigeria’s Middle Belt, particularly in Plateau State, Islamist militants, especially Fulani extremists, are conducting a campaign of terror that has been going on unchecked for over two decades. Their goal? To create a Muslim caliphate through forced displacement, mass murder, and religious cleansing. These are not tribal disputes or isolated acts of violence—they are part of a coordinated and ideologically driven attempt to erase Christianity from the region.
“Let’s start with the horrible attacks on April 2-3, 2025… Over 60 Christians slaughtered, 383 homes torched,” said Jeff King, President of International Christian Concern. “Families were burned alive, and kids left homeless. This is a genocide.”
From Christmas Eve 2023, when 200 Christians were murdered, to Palm Sunday 2025, where 54 worshipers were massacred in Zikke, the bloodshed continues with heartbreaking regularity. Below are just some of the documented atrocities from recent weeks:
Mass Land Seizure Masquerading as Conflict
The scale of destruction is staggering. Since 2001:
Up to 100,000 Christians killed
3.5 million displaced
Entire villages wiped off the map
Islamist terrorists armed with AK-47s, machetes, and gasoline carry out these attacks while the Nigerian government largely remains passive.
“This is a massive land grab disguised as tribal conflict. What we are witnessing is stealth jihad,” King added.
A Government Missing in Action
Despite being the most populous African nation with abundant resources and military strength, the Nigerian government has failed to stop these attacks. Survivors often find themselves in squalid displacement camps with no access to food, education, or safe worship. Women are raped. Children orphaned. Homes and churches burned to the ground.
“They want our land, our lives, our Jesus,” a widow told the ICC.
Yet, while citizens bleed, the government issues platitudes—and U.S. foreign aid continues to flow, unchecked and unaccountable.
The Deafening Silence of the Global Community
Organizations like Open Doors, International Christian Concern, and local Nigerian bishops have provided ample documentation and firsthand accounts of the genocide. Still, Western media and governments have largely ignored the crisis. The U.S. State Department has yet to officially re-designate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern”, despite bipartisan pressure.
“Cut off all financial and military aid to Nigeria until we see real change,” demands ICC President Jeff King.
The Ideology Behind the Violence
This isn’t random. Bishop Ayuba Matawal, head of the Internally Displaced People’s Welfare Committee in Bokkos, pointed to a deeper agenda:
“These extremists are acting on the ideological vision of Uthman dan Fodio—seeking to spread Islam across Nigeria by force.”
This vision is being carried out village by village, house by house, with a frightening degree of commitment and consistency.
Where is the Outrage?
Why isn’t this front-page news in every major media outlet? Why isn’t there a global outcry, or targeted sanctions, or peacekeeping forces being deployed? One reason: political correctness and fear of offending Islamist sympathizers.
But truth is not hate speech. Silence is complicity.
“Nigerian Christians are carrying their cross every day,” King says. “Yet their hope rises like the resurrection.”
A Call to Action
To the U.S. Government: Re-designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. Cut off all aid until Christians are protected and perpetrators are prosecuted.
To Christians Worldwide: Stand in solidarity. Pray. Speak out. Write your representatives.
To Media Outlets: Report the truth without fear or agenda.
This Easter, as millions celebrate Christ’s resurrection, remember those who are still at Calvary—suffering, bleeding, and dying for their faith. Don’t let them carry the cross alone.
“Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” —Psalm 82:4 (GNT)
Author's Note: If we remain silent now, we will answer later—not just to history, but to God.
References
Fox News. (2025, April 20). Thousands of Christians reportedly 'deliberately' targeted in Nigeria: 'Human rights catastrophe'. Fox News Digital. https://www.foxnews.com/world/thousands-christians-reportedly-deliberately-targeted-nigeria-human-rights-catastrophe
Green, L. (2025, April 20). 3 questions about Easter every Christian should and can answer. Fox News Digital. https://www.foxnews.com
Open Doors. (2025). World Watch List 2025: Nigeria. Open Doors USA. https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/nigeria/
International Christian Concern (ICC). (2025). Reports on attacks in Plateau State, Nigeria. https://www.persecution.org
Ajayi, A. (2025, April 13). Palm Sunday procession in Lagos, Nigeria. Getty Images. https://www.gettyimages.com
Associated Press. (2022, June 6). Aftermath of the St. Francis Catholic Church attack, Owo, Nigeria. https://apnews.com
United States Department of State. (2025). Press statement on violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. https://www.state.gov
