By Dr. Emanuel Adil Ghouri
No religion in the world allows its followers to massacre people belonging to other religions or burn down their homes and places of worship in order to pressure the government into making the state a religious state. This attitude of religious fanatics toward the advancement of religion is contrary to true religious education. I believe that their objectives are not religious but rather a struggle for power.
In many countries, such as Afghanistan, Iran, Sudan, and Indonesia, Christians are persecuted and unjustly treated in the name of religion. But persecution in Nigeria has reached its peak. Violence against Christians is a major problem in Nigeria, driven primarily by the activities of groups like Boko Haram, which seek to establish an Islamic state. Although the country’s 220 million people are almost evenly split between followers of the two major religions, Muslims are the majority in the north, where most attacks involving Boko Haram have occurred. Other groups involved in political violence also contribute to the problem. The nature of the violence includes targeted killings and kidnappings, with specific examples of attacks on Christian pastors.
In the context of religious conflicts that began in 1953, Christians are often targeted through killings and kidnappings. According to the Yemeni Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), from 2009 to 2025 approximately 53,000 Christians have been killed in targeted political violence. According to television host Bill Maher, there have been more than 100,000 deaths since 2009, and 18,000 churches have been burned down. On November 21, 2025, gunmen kidnapped 315 Nigerian Christians from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Nigeria. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
The victims include 303 students and 12 teachers. According to another news agency, “Boko Haram has kidnapped about 40 Christian farmers in the Damboa area of Borno State.”
The United Nations has expressed concern over these incidents, stating that attacks on churches and other civilian targets by Boko Haram and other extremist groups constitute crimes against humanity.
Violence against Christians remains a major concern in Nigeria, fueled by extremist groups and bandits. The European Union has raised the issue and pressured the Nigerian government to take action. International bodies such as the European Parliament and the U.S. House of Representatives have recognized these atrocities as genocide. The issue has attracted global attention, with organizations such as the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom identifying Nigeria as a country where Christians face severe persecution.
U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to Nigeria, stating that the government will face serious consequences if it continues to allow the killing of Christians. For months, politicians campaigning in Washington have expressed dissatisfaction with President Trump’s actions. They believe militants are systematically targeting Christians in Nigeria, which requires immediate practical action, not merely rhetoric and threats. Many critics, including Congressman Riley M. Moore, a leading voice on the issue in the House of Representatives, have condemned the lack of immediate and decisive action.
Critics want the international community to play an effective role in preventing atrocities and genocide against Christians in Nigeria, just as it played a full role in preventing killings and genocide in Palestine.
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