By Mirna Fahmy
In the last decade, Nigeria has not only been known for having its largest informal settlements, but also for being the biggest grave of Christians who are being killed in large numbers every day. Mass killings against Christians in Nigeria have been ongoing for many years, with a significant increase from around 2009 onwards.
According to a report by the Catholic-inspired International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), since 2009 approximately 125,009 Christians have been killed in Nigeria, amid a total of about 185,009 Nigerians killed in related violence, including 60,000 “liberal Muslims.” The report states that in the first 220 days of 2025 alone, over 7,000 Christians were massacred, averaging about 32 killings per day. Annually, this suggests tens of thousands of Christians have been killed in recent years. The violence has involved the destruction of over 19,100 churches, displacement of over 1,100 Christian communities, and abduction of more than 600 Christian clerics.
The perpetrators are reported to be various Islamist jihadist groups, including Boko Haram, ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province), and Fulani herdsmen militants. These groups use violence targeting Christians through killings, abductions (often involving church leaders), destruction of property, and forced displacement. The motive is described as aiming to eliminate Christianity from Nigeria, in some cases evoking historical jihadist ambitions to establish Islamic dominance, with reports suggesting the intent to wipe out Christianity within the next 50 years.
International calls and condemnations:
All media and newspapers have been blamed that they don’t cover intensively the mass killings of the Christians in Nigeria as much as Gaza believing that this is media propaganda and media bias because those who are killed are Christians and not any other religions.
On October 31, 2025, The US President Donald Trump stated on his social media account: “Christianity is facing an existential threat in Nigeria. Thousands of Christians are Communities being killed. Radical Islamists are responsible for this mass slaughter. I am hereby making Nigeria a “COUNTRY OF PARTICULAR CONCERN” But that is the least of it. When Christians, or any such group, is slaughtered like is happening in Nigeria (3,100 versus 4,476 Worldwide), something must be done! I am asking Congressman Riley Moore, together with Chairman Tom Cole and the House Appropriations Committee, to immediately look into this matter, and report back to me. The United States cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other Countries. We stand ready, willing, and able to save our Great Christian population around the World!” He even threatened that he would cut off US aid being sent to the Nigerian government if they didn’t take the matters seriously.
In several calls and posts, Trump described Nigeria as a “disgraced country” and accused its government of allowing the persecution of Christians, directing the Pentagon to prepare for potential military action to eliminate the perpetrators, whom he identified as Islamic terrorists. He also announced that Nigeria would be placed on the U.S. State Department’s list of “Countries of Particular Concern” for religious persecution, a move that has drawn both support and criticism internationally
US political figures like Senator Ted Cruz have highlighted the scale of killings and accused the Nigerian government of facilitating or overlooking the violence.
Other international actors have also condemned the violence. The European Union has repeatedly expressed deep concern over attacks on Christian communities, calling for urgent action to protect religious minorities and demanding accountability for perpetrators. In 2025, the EU reiterated its support for Nigeria’s government in addressing the root causes of violence and called for greater dialogue between religious communities to prevent further atrocities. Human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and advocacy groups like Save the Persecuted Christians have also issued strong statements, describing the violence as systematic and calling for immediate intervention and justice.
Despite these international calls, the Nigerian government has rejected claims of a “Christian genocide” and argued that the portrayal of Nigeria as lacking religious tolerance is inaccurate. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has stated that Nigeria condemns religious persecution and maintains constitutional protections for all faiths, while also warning against foreign narratives that may exploit local conflicts for political ends.
China, on the other side, supports the Nigerian government and opposes Trump’s order to send troops to Nigeria. In a televised official speech, the Director of the Foreign Ministry Information Department of China, Mao Ning stated: “As Nigeria’s comprehensive strategic partner, China firmly supports the Nigerian government in leading its people on the development path suited to its national conditions. China firmly opposes any country using religion and human rights as an excuse to interfere in other countries’ internal affairs and threatening other countries with sanctions and force.”
How did Boko Haram rise?
Boko Haram was founded in 2002 in Maiduguri, northeastern Nigeria, by Mohammed Yusuf, a charismatic preacher. The movement’s formal name is Jama’at Ahl al-Sunna li al-Da’wa wa al-Jihad, meaning “Group of the People of Sunnah for Dawah and Jihad.” Yusuf initially established Boko Haram as a religious sect and school aimed at propagating Sunni Islam and purifying the region from practices he considered un-Islamic, including Western education and government corruption. The group gained followers by criticizing police and government corruption and attracted disaffected unemployed youth, growing steadily within the Izala Society before breaking off to form its distinct militant faction.
Yusuf’s theological stance was that Western-style education (“Boko”) was immoral and should be rejected. Boko Haram did not engage in major violence for its first seven years, instead focusing on building influence and strength in the remote northeast. However, tensions with Nigerian authorities escalated due to the group’s radical preaching and defiance of the state. In 2009, after government suppression operations, Mohammed Yusuf was arrested and killed in police custody, which escalated the group’s turn to violent insurgency.
After Yusuf’s death, Boko Haram’s operations became increasingly militant and violent under the new leader Abubakar Shekau, starting around 2009-2010. Shekau transformed Boko Haram into a deadly insurgency, carrying out suicide bombings, attacks on police and civilians, and deadly raids on towns. He pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2015. Under His command, Boko Haram expanded territories in northeastern Nigeria and neighboring countries particularly in the Lake Chad Basin region. It has been active in parts of Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, spreading violence and insurgency across borders, exploiting regional instability and porous borders becoming notorious worldwide, especially after the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ kidnapping.
After Shekau’s death, Boko Haram splintered, with factions led by different commanders, including Bakura Doro, who reportedly leads one faction now.
According to reports from Brookings and War on the Rocks, Nigeria’s inability to take decisive action against Boko Haram stems from a combination of deep-rooted governance and structural challenges. Endemic corruption and weak governance have consistently undermined coherent security responses, while the group’s early operations in the remote and inaccessible terrain of northeastern Nigeriagave it a significant tactical advantage. At various points, local political accommodation or tolerance allowed the insurgency to gain ground, with its founder Mohammed Yusuf reportedly benefiting from political cover. Meanwhile, human rights abuses and heavy-handed tactics by Nigerian security forces eroded public trust, making local cooperation with the state increasingly difficult. The sheer complexity and scale of the insurgency, compounded by poor regional coordinationamong neighboring states, has further hindered efforts to bring Boko Haram under control, allowing the group to endure despite years of military campaigns.
Religions in Nigeria
Nigeria is a deeply religious and multi-religious country primarily divided between Islam and Christianity, with a significant minority practicing indigenous traditional religions. Estimates indicate approximately 50-55% of Nigerians identify as Muslim, mostly in the northern regions, while about 35-45% are Christian, concentrated mostly in southern and central Nigeria. Indigenous religions constitute roughly 10% or less of the population and have been declining over decades due to the spread of Islam and Christianity.
The country is broadly split between Sunni Muslims (including various Sufi orders) and a diverse Christian population (Protestants and Catholics).
Besides Christians, Muslims are also victims of violent attacks, including by Boko Haram and other extremist groups. These attacks often hit marketplaces, mosques, and Muslim communities, especially in the northwestern states. According to reports by Congressional Research Service and CNN, the attacks against Muslims are often underreported or seen as part of general insecurity because perpetrators and victims sometimes belong to the same religion.