Nmadu says from our standpoint as Christians, genocidal offenses are being committed; but regardless of how the UN or other international organizations choose to label the situation: 

“We can safely say that Christians are being killed in mass with the intention to coerce, to make Christians change their religious conduct,” he affirms. “Freedom of religion, or belief, is being hampered in many parts of Northern Nigeria.”

With land comes economic and political power, and the battle for control sweeps through a complex territory of cultural, political, and religious landscapes. 

Nmadu says he does not believe the present government is aiding the killing of Christians. But the administration’s refusal to take swift action, even in the form of strong rhetoric, reveals a trend towards political correctness. 

“In trying to be politically correct, they become complacent,” he says. “The government – not just this government, even past governments – have not done enough to protect lives of Christians in communities.”

The killings and abductions of thousands of Nigerians have been documented over the last few years. But Nmadu says small numbers aren’t even accounted for in those reports. 

“The evil is just unimaginable, and for a government to come out and deny that there is [any] such thing happening in the country shows their level of responsiveness in protecting lives and property, which is the number one duty of any government in the world,” he says. 

In particular, he believes the government of Nigeria must track down terrorists and hold them accountable to justice. He also thinks the administration needs to address the blasphemy laws being implemented in some Nigerian states by Muslims trying to enforce Sharia law. 

“When we say government is not doing enough, it is allowing the culture of impunity to prevail in the country,” he says. “People are emboldened to commit more atrocities because when one is committed, nothing is done.” 

Nmadu is hopeful that a surge of international interest will be a catalyst for change in Nigeria. 

President Trump has declared Nigeria a country of particular concern and has even threatened to send US troops to the country if measures to stop the genocide are not taken. It’s a move that Nmadu says has pricked the ears of government officials in his home country. 

“And if this is the only thing that this has done, I think it’s a welcome idea,” he says.

Above and featured photos courtesy of Unsplash

The report was released by The Anambra-based International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), led by Christian criminologist Emeka Umeagbalasi. It also estimated “no fewer than 7,800 others were violently seized and abducted for being Christians.”

(Photo courtesy Voice of the Martyrs USA)

Christian Faith Ministries serves in Benue, a state in North Central Nigeria. In early July, four of their members were tragically killed in an attack.

Ruth Hodge, who co-founded Christian Faith Ministries with her husband Kent, discussed the persecution facing Nigerian believers in a podcast interview with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada’s Greg Musselman.

Ruth explains that many Christian villagers in Northern Nigeria have fled their homes and sought refuge in an old IDP (internally displaced people) camp. “That camp is occupied…but there’s no aid going there. Mostly, the men are staying in the villages to protect them, to try to drive out the Fulani when they attack, and to try to continue farming.”

Benue State is known as the food basket of Nigeria. “It’s the most fertile state of the whole nation,” says Ruth. “A lot of food is produced in Benue every year.”

However, violence and instability have devastated food production. “At the moment, nothing is coming out of Benue State. Very little food is coming out. The roads aren’t safe. People are being kidnapped on the roads. Trucks — if they’re going out with the produce — they’re looted, they’re stolen. The Fulani are well armed, full of ammunition, and the military is doing very little.”

(Photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs USA)

Even in the face of persecution, Nigerian Christians long for their attackers to hear the Gospel — that even those who kill them might find salvation in Jesus Christ.

The provost of Christian Faith Ministries’ Bible school is ethnically Fulani, and Ruth notes, “We have about 50 Fulani students in our Bible school — that’s the ones I can think of immediately.”

These Fulani believers are reaching their own people with the Good News of Jesus.

Please pray with them for Fulani Muslims to turn from violence to the forgiveness and joy of Christ. Ask God to give persecuted believers in Northern Nigeria wisdom and protection as they care for their villages and families. Pray for the Church to be a bold witness of faith in the fire.

Header photo courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs Canada.

Christian communities continue to suffer raids, sexual violence, killings at roadblocks, and kidnappings. Recent victims include two teenagers and a nine-month-old baby.

Jihadist groups like Boko Haram, Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Lakurawa also pose an ongoing threat.

“In the void of ethical leadership, there’s always going to be these bad actors that try to swoop in and gain access to the resources,” Unknown Nations’ Greg Kelley says.

“Then you’ve got the agenda of Islam, which is to take over the entirety of that country.”

Believers aren’t the only ones who suffer. Fulani herdsmen, although Islamist, also attack properties owned by Muslims.

“It’s not like every Muslim in Nigeria is applauding what’s going on. They’re just as dissatisfied and frustrated as the Christians are, but it opens their heart,” Kelley says.

“Their worldview is challenged, and they’re open to the Gospel.”

The Fulani were among Nigeria’s first converts to Islam, and this religious system is central to their identity. Yet hope remains for this people group. “We’re seeing God move in very unique ways,” Kelley says.

“He’s saving people who come from these aggressors and using them as missionaries. There are 300 Fulani leaders that are going to be trained in the next few weeks.”

Ask the Lord to put His words into the mouths of Fulani Gospel workers.

“The most passionate and enthusiastic laborers are coming out of the three largest Muslim people groups,” Kelley says.

“When you’ve come out of that darkness, you understand the significance of it (salvation) way more than someone who came from a majority [Christian] people group.”

Header image is an AI-generated photo depicting Fulani herdsmen created using GenCraft.

Less than three weeks after over 200 Christians were massacred in Yelwata village, Benue State, four more were killed in the same area. In nearby Plateau State, six Christians were slain last week in Riyom County — part of 64 killings in recent weeks. Beyond the physical destruction, vast hectares of farmland have been lost and many homes burned.

Greg Musselman from Voice of the Martyrs Canada says, “The sad part about this is that the security forces don’t seem to have either the will, the manpower, the know-how — whatever it is — to be able to stop these attacks.”

People praying in Nigerian church (representative photo courtesy of David Iloba via Pexels)

More than six extremist ideology groups, despite their differences, are joining forces and recruiting more fighters. Among them are Boko Haram, the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP), the broader Islamic State network, the Taliban, Fulani herdsmen, and Lacurawa.

“These Islamic groups seem to feel that they can just attack the Christians and not much is going to happen to them,” says Musselman.

The geography of violence is also shifting — spreading from northern to southern Nigeria. Many Christians flee their homes, but some are still pursued, as seen in recent attacks in Benue and Plateau states.

Musselman explains: “You’ve got families already grieving. They’ve lost their loved ones, and now they know there’s really no safe place to go — and these militias are determined to rid these areas of Christians.” Their goal is to spread fear, demoralize the church and many Christians, and force them to flee.

Some believers accept the risk of martyrdom and remain in their homes.

Musselman adds, “And they’re saying, ‘Well, you know, if we die, we die…’ And others, they’re overwhelmed by the fact that they could be killed.”

The despair is real, but so is the response. The Church, both locally and globally, is rising to pray and act. Voice of the Martyrs Canada is helping raise awareness and provide support for Nigerian Christians.

Pray that Nigerian Christians will have the freedom to believe in Christ in their own homeland!

Header photo: Nigerian church (courtesy of Tosin Superson via Pexels).

Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations explains Nigeria is a land of contrasts.

“It’s a country that’s totally split in half. [Christians] largely are in the south. The other half is Muslim, largely in the north,” says Kelley. “The Fulani have been just as notorious, just as aggressive and brutal as Boko Haram.”

In addition to religions, influence is another dividing line. Nigeria has one of the highest Christian populations in all of Africa, with over 120 million believers according to Joshua Project. Yet their cries for protection are often ignored. 

Why? Kelley explains that the Fulani people group is massive, influential, and politically resourceful. “They’re very ambitious, and they have incredible leadership and desire for power. So with that, you have key Fulani people that are dispersed throughout the government, throughout businesses. They have tons of resources. So when these killings happen, they tend to look the other way, and that’s why they’re getting away with it.”

The Nigerian government’s response has been lackluster. Meanwhile, the international community is sometimes bogged down by politics. 

“I think the international community is playing a game of Russian roulette a little bit with ‘how much do we try and enforce [sanctions or human rights policies on] these guys and punish the bad guys, while not handicapping the people that we’re trying to elevate?’” says Kelley. 

A contrasting response

But on the ground, some Nigerian Christians are pursuing a different solution: sharing the gospel even with the Fulani.

Audio Bibles bring the Gospel to people from oral cultures.
(Photo courtesy of Unknown Nations)

“We are hearing about these very perpetrators of aggressions and persecutions coming to know Christ,” says Kelley. “We just need to resource the people who are willing to go there in a better way. That is truly the answer for Nigeria.”

Supporting these Christians could mean sponsoring motorcycles for outreach, providing training, or distributing solar-powered audio Bibles. Last year, Unknown Nations distributed over 3,000 audio Bibles in Nigeria. 

Kelley says the place to start is with prayer. Pray along with Matthew 9:37-38 that God will send more workers into Nigeria’s north. Pray that the advance of the gospel will transform the country from the inside out. 

“I promise you one thing: today, there’s someone taking the gospel into northern Nigeria who will be killed because of that, and they’re doing it joyfully,” says Kelley. “Why? Because they recognize we’re just passing through this world. We are just temporary stewards of this opportunity to take the gospel into places like that. That’s the answer.”

Header photo: A western Fulani woman carries a bucket on her head and is silhouetted against the setting sun. (Photo, caption courtesy of IMB, CC 4.0)

More believers are killed in Nigeria each year than in all other countries combined. In the country’s Muslim North, violence against Christian minorities has been happening for years.

Fulani man in Nigeria. Courtesy of Pixabay.

“Unfortunately, what’s been happening more recently, is the atrocities and attacks are happening more in the middle belt states where Christianity and Islam collide,” says Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations.

While attacks on Christians have often been perpetrated by the radical Islamic group Boko Haram, Saturday’s attacks were carried out by the Fulani, a nomadic tribe of cattle herders. 

“That’s really where the tensions start. They target farmers, who are primarily Christian, and they will graze their cattle and go through their lands,” Kelley says. 

When farmers confront the Fulani, violence often precedes or subsumes negotiation. But while the world spotlights the Fulani’s aggression, Kelley points out their spiritual need. They are among a third of the world’s population unreached with the Gospel — a stark contrast to Nigeria’s Christian people groups concentrated in the South. 

“There are dozens and dozens like the Fulani, like the Hausa, like the Kanuri, that are 99% Muslim. That is where our indigenous network exclusively works,” he says. 

Unknown Nations partners with over 200 believers in Northern Nigeria. Kelley says his team members are taking the Gospel to one of the world’s most dangerous areas. 

“Islam, unfortunately, in Northern Nigeria especially, just brings so much destruction, despair, aggression,” he says. “There’s just no peace in their lives, so missionaries are having a ton of fruit in these areas of Nigeria.”

Audio Bibles offer a chance to hear God’s Word in someone’s heart language (Photo courtesy of Unknown Nations)

Meanwhile, churches in Nigeria’s South remain vibrant and committed to Christ.

“But unfortunately, their enthusiasm for the Lord hasn’t really translated into mobilization into the North,” Kelley points out. 

He says Christian missionaries from southern Nigeria are few and far between. Yet, the most effective ministries are those based in the Middle Belt and the North. Please pray for an expansion of missionary presence in these areas, and pray for the missionaries already working in this region. 

“And as we pray for the church of Nigeria to get mobilized,” Kelley encourages, “we need to look in the mirror and say, ‘How are we mobilized?’”

Header photo courtesy of Unknown Nations.

Joshua Irondi with Trans World Radio says, “We have heard stories of people killed in their farmlands, and then many people have run away and stopped farming for fear of being murdered or molested.”

Fulani Islamists increasingly target Christian farmers because the Fulani want more land for their livestock. The Nigerian government does nothing to oppose the violent campaign. Instead, believers driven out of their homes are pushed aside.

“Some people who do not have places to go are moved into IDP camps provided by the government,” Irondi says.

Despair comes quickly in a displacement camp. Believers have lost their homes and livelihoods and have no easy answer to the question, “What’s next?” This is where TWR comes in.

Nearly all Christians in northeastern Nigeria have lost family members in attacks by Boko Haram or Fulani Islamic militants.
(Photo courtesy of VOM USA)

“Ours is to minister hope to the people, hope in Christ Jesus. We have groups that go to IDP camps with our media content,” Irondi says.

“People keep hearing the Word of God, and we have [received] testimonies. People are giving their life to Christ.”

Praise the Lord for sending messengers with His hope to people in despair. Pray Nigeria’s government will take action against the extremists.

“The Bible says the hearts of kings are in the hands of God, and He turns them around the way He pleases. We need prayers for God to touch the hearts of men in leadership so that the people in leadership will be serious [about] protecting the lives of Christians,” Irondi says.

Pray also for Fulani Islamists. Pray they will encounter the Gospel truth, and pray the Holy Spirit will soften their hearts to receive Christ as Savior.

“These men perpetuate this evil; if they understand who Jesus is and the love of Jesus, they will change their ways,” Irondi says.

Header image is a representative stock photo created using artificial intelligence/GenCraft.

The decision follows top-level instructions to Nigeria’s army to either kill or remove Lakurawa radicals from Nigerian territory.

“This is a great concern for the Nigerian government. They’re already trying to fight off the Boko Haram, Fulani herdsman, [and] ISIS West Africa,” Greg Musselman with Voice of the Martyrs Canada says.

“The government has already been accused of not doing enough, and now you[’ve] got another group [to battle.]”

The ‘terrorist’ designation allows Nigerian forces to arrest suspects, freeze assets, and dismantle Lakurawa’s networks. However, questions remain about whether these measures address the conditions that enable the group to flourish.

(Photo courtesy of VOA via Voice of the Martyrs Canada)

“A lot of these terrorist groups feed on the fact that many of these young men don’t have jobs,” Musselman says.

“They’re poor, and [then they see] here’s an opportunity to join this group, cause all sorts of havoc in the name of Islam, and use it to get material gain.”

Meanwhile, religious minorities suffer.

“You’ve got these competing Islamic groups with their version of Sharia law. They’ll go against each other [and] there’s all this violence breaking out, and the innocent people are often getting caught into it,” Musselman says.

Ask the Lord to protect and strengthen believers in northern Nigeria. Consider providing practical help and biblical counseling through VOM Canada here.

“When you look at what has gone on in Nigeria, you see amazing, brave followers of Christ. But you also see the devastation and pain are real,” Musselman says.

“You’ve got so much violence and so much death and destruction. The only hope is Jesus.”

Header photo created using AI/GenCraft.

The events-based list aggregates data drawn from the Violent Incidents Database—an index documenting physical and non-physical religiously motivated violent incidents from November 2022 to November 2024.

“The two years of reporting from Red List truly reveals where Christian communities face the gravest threats and help us direct life-saving support where it’s needed most,” Brian Orme, acting chief executive of Global Christian Relief, said in a press release.

The persecution of Christians has grown across the globe since 2014, driven by the rising influence of Islamic extremism, growing Hindu nationalism, resurgent authoritarian regimes, government corruption, and the misuse of more sophisticated technology.

India saw the most destruction of Christian property between 2022 and 2024, while China topped the Red List for arrests and sentencing. Over 9,800 believers died in Nigeria during the reporting period.

“Nigeria has been on our radar for almost 20 years,” Unknown Nations’ Greg Kelley says.

“More people are killed for their faith in Christ in Nigeria than the rest of the world combined.”

Islamic extremist groups target isolated villages throughout the country. “Boko Haram is a radical Islamic group in the vein of ISIS, al Qaeda, and al Shabaab that wants to take over the north. So, it (persecution) starts with Boko Haram, but then you also have the Fulani, who are one of the largest Muslim people groups in all of Africa,” Kelley says.

“They’re pushing their cattle from place to place, and [when] the Fulani come into these farmlands for grazing, there becomes a violent sort of interaction between the farmers and the Fulani herdsmen. Many times, the farmers are Christian.”

Audio Bibles bring the Gospel to people from oral cultures.
(Photo courtesy of Unknown Nations)

Despite government assurances that they will defeat the radical groups, violence continues to escalate. Nigeria also tops the Red List for abductions and ransom demands.

“Leaders want to be able to go into a Muslim community and share the Gospel without the threat of being kidnapped,” Kelley says.

Pray for an end to the violence in Nigeria. Ask the Lord to strengthen and sustain Gospel workers.

“We just ask for people to be praying for us to be able to send more solar-powered audio Bibles in the various languages so that people can hear about Jesus for the first time,” Kelley says.

Header image courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs USA.

That incident was only part of a bigger trend.

“Fifty thousand or more people have been killed between 2009 and 2023 — [by] groups like Boko Haram, Fulani herdsman,” says Greg Musselman with Voice of the Martyrs Canada. Read about attacks against Nigerian Christians that happened just a few weeks ago here.

Sound overwhelming to pray or even think about? Try focusing instead on the ordinary families like yours and mine behind the numbers.

“They’re trying to worship Jesus, [share] the gospel message with those around them. But this ongoing persecution and the killing, it’s devastating,” Musselman says.

He had the honor of meeting a pastor named Gideon Dawel whose story began last year at Black Christmas.

“Pastor Gideon — who was the overseer for the Christ Apostolic Church and also a local pastor — lost his pregnant wife and five daughters who were burned to death when Fulani Muslims came into the community,” Musselman says.

Other believers have helped Gideon walk through his grief. He is pressing forward with God’s grace.

(Listen to Pastor Gideon share his story in this VOM video.)

You may be asking the same question as Musselman. Why is more not being done to protect Christians in Nigeria? Why are government soldiers not helping guard these Christian villages in the north? They’re “sitting ducks” according to Musselman.

“We don’t know why,” he says. “It’s either there’s apathy — they don’t care — [or] in some cases, those that are supposed to be protecting these communities are actually complicit [with] those that are attacking these vulnerable Christians in northern Nigeria.”

The stories of tragedy after tragedy coming from Nigeria these days may be hard to process, but don’t accept them as just the way things are there. Please listen, learn and pray for their protection. If you know Christ, these are your brother and sisters.

Musselman says to catch the “positive message” underlying the stories VOM shares: “Our ‘positive message’ is that Jesus died for our sins. He came to earth. That’s what Christmas is all about — and as a result of being in the family of God, we need to be praying for each other.”

Header photo is a video screenshot of Pastor Gideon Dawel, courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs Canada.