For Nigerian Christians, it would be a miserable and terrifying Easter.
The murder and persecution of Christians by Islamic extremists seeking to create a Muslim caliphate in this West African country appears to be clearly not checked, despite the fact that they are 46% Christians.
“Nigerian Christians are being wiped out. What should we call it – genocide,” Jeff King, president of the Persecution Clock International Christian Concerns (ICC), told Fox News Digital.
“Let’s start with the horrific attacks in Boccos County, Plateau (Nigeria) on April 2-3, 2025. Over 60 Christians (had been) were massacred and 383 homes torched,” King said. “The family was alive and burning, the kids were still homeless. It’s not brave. The worst thing is there is nothing really “special” about this attack. This continued for 20 years and expanded. ”
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At least 51 Christians were killed in another attack in Nigeria’s Plateau State. (Reuters)
King believes Nigeria is a murder field for Christians and this is not a random violence. He continued the numbers and was confirmed by local leaders in Nigeria.
“It’s a calculated push from Fulanis to erase Christians from their homeland, the middle belt of Nigeria. Since 2001, up to 100,000 Christians have been slaughtered and 3.5 million farmers have been driven out of the land by Fulani Muslim terrorists.
“This is a massive land grab disguised as conflict and tribal nausea. What we are witnessing is a massive, long-term stealth jihad.”
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One woman widowed in the attack reportedly told the ICC “they want our land, our lives, our Jesus.”
Last weekend, the ICC and local sources allege another 54 Christians were massacred after celebrating at the Palm Sunday Service in Zicke village near Joss.
Members of St. Leo Catholic Church will hold a procession marking Palm Sunday in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria on April 13, 2025. (Adekunle Ajayi/Getty Images)
Members of Nigerian Christian group Open Doors UK presented Fox News Digital with a list of other attacks in Nigeria last month.
- March 24th – Bassa LGA, Dandu Village. The militants ambushed three Christian farmers while they were growing the land.
- March 27th – Ruwi Community, Bokkos LGA. Fulani militants killed 11 Christians attending the funeral.
- April 2nd. —The extremist Boccos LGA attacked Tamiso village. In Tamiso village, a woman held a Christian fellowship conference at Koshin (National Christian Church) church, killing at least five people. The village of DAFO was also attacked, killing two people.
- April 6 – Extremists killed four people in the village of Pyakmula, Boccos LGA.
- April 7th – Hara village of Bassa LGA killed three people.
- April 8 – Three separate attacks have begun, killing at least two in the Bassa LGA.
- April 11 – Extremists attack the village of Zorg in Bassa LGA, killing three, their father and his two sons. According to contact information on OD Field, his father was beheaded by extremists.
Nigeria ranks seventh on Open Doors’ 2025 watchlist, the annual index of the country where Christians face most persecution.
“Christians in northern and central Nigeria face extreme violence from Boko Haram, ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa), face armed Fulani militants who have killed thousands of followers, destroyed hundreds of churches and displaced the entire Christian community.” “The recent attacks in Plateau State represent yet another chapter in this ongoing crisis of religious persecution.
“These attacks destroyed communities that are still recovering from the Christmas Eve massacre, which killed around 200 Christians in the same area in 2023.”
The day after the attack on June 6, 2022, Nigerian soldiers secured an area outside the Saint Francis Catholic Church in the town of Owo, Nigeria, and targeted worshippers. (AP Photo/Alamba on Sunday)
Family members lost male earners, while women and children were often sexually assaulted, Brown added.
“Currently, survivors live in at least four evacuation camps, face food insecurity and are unable to access education and worship safely,” Brown added.
Bishop Ayuba Matawal introduced the Muslim murderer. Matawal is the chairman of the People’s Welfare Committee, which was evacuated internally in Nigeria’s Boccos.
“Some of these militants seem to be indoctrinated with an ideology of continuing the legacy of Usman Dan Fodio’s vision of seizing land from Christian communities and spreading Islam in Nigeria,” he said. “Their numbers may be small, but these extremists are causing serious damage to the Christian community.”
The ICC King told Fox News Digital that he is asking the State Department to list Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC).
This is a US government label that means sanctions, pressure and actual consequences.
King added that the United States should “block all (financial and military) aid to Nigeria until it has blocked out all (financial and military) aid to Nigeria, until it has confirmed that the attack, perpetrator has been arrested and the land has been restored.
Rangers patrol in February 2023 at Lake Kainzi National Park in Niger Province, Nigeria. (Nigeria Conservation Foundation via AP)
A State Department spokesman did not mention the attack on Christians, but told Fox News Digital:
“We also continue to engage with the Nigerian government at the highest level to address the root causes of violence and are a strong advocate for the protection of all citizens.
“We acknowledge President Tinubu’s commitment to address the causes of violence (in Nigeria) and urge the government to take meaningful and critical steps to prevent further attacks, ensure accountability for perpetrators, and promote long-term peace and stability.”
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In Nigeria, Bishop Matawal warned this Easter weekend that “Christian communities are on guard, especially during church services and religious gatherings.”
“Nigerian Christians carry the cross every day, and their hopes are rising like a resurrection,” King said. “Easter is all about winning death, and these Christians live it. But let’s scream and say, “We hear you, we’ll hold a little longer with you.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Nigerian government but did not receive a response.
