The politicisation of human suffering in Northern Nigeria

President Donald Trump on November 1st threatened to invade Nigeria “gun-blazing” to put an end to Islamic terrorists and suspend all foreign aid to the Nigerian government for “allowing the killing of Christians”. His statement has led many individuals, blogs, and organisations to call out a genocide of Christians in Nigeria. Some voices disagree, as they feel calling it a genocide undermines the situation in Gaza, and misrepresents the complex factors involved in the killings that have taken place in Northern Nigeria, which has spread into the Middle Belt.

According to the European Parliament, Nigeria has been recognised as a country in the world with the most violence against Christians. Between 2019 and 2023, nearly 17000 Christians were killed for their faith. These numbers do not include those that have been kidnapped, which in 2025 is roughly estimated at 7000 people.

Boko Haram and its offshoot, Islamic State – West Africa Province (ISWAP), as well as Fulani herdsmen are responsible for the killings in Northern Nigeria. The European Union Agency for Asylum notes the groups of people being attacked by Boko Haram:

• persons perceived as government supporters
• persons considered as ‘infidels’, including those rejecting the insurgents’ strict interpretation of Sharia
• Christians
• journalists
• teachers and others working in education
• health workers
• IDPs

Based on the report by the EUAA, Boko Haram and ISWAP attack those that are against its ideals, that includes muslims that do not support Boko Haram or its application of Sharia law. While the Fulani Herders are often driven by greed as they attack different communities, Muslim and Chrsitian alike, killing individuals and kidnapping some for ransom.

Though there is not enough evidence to show that there is a Christian genocide, it is clear that the destruction does not discriminate. However, in admitting that Nigeria is a land of religious freedom and Christians are not intentionally being discriminated against, the Nigerian government has been unable to do anything to suppress the reign of these terrorists and protect the lives of the most vulnerable in the country.

In the end, though Christians are suffering, they are the same people also leading the charge in bringing a solution. A global Christian group, Youth With a Mission (YWAM) founded by Loren Cunningham, an American Missionary, has set up a base in Nigeria. The organisation has done great work in transforming and reforming the lives of jihadists and militants. They recently released a movie, Go Africa, which documents the horrors of what is happening in Nigeria, as well as honors the wives of pastors who were beheaded in Northern Nigeria.

The persecution of Christians in Nigeria, may not fit the definition of a genocide, but it is important that prayer is lifted for the church regardless, and lifted for Nigeria as a whole. The intervention of God will not only save the lives of Christians but many other religious groups who are suffering under the rule of darkness.