UMVA has learned that a staggering wave of violence has been unleashed upon Christians in Nigeria, with Islamist Fulani militants openly broadcasting their intentions to destroy entire communities.
Survivors of these brutal attacks have reported being told directly by their attackers, as their homes are burned and their neighbors slaughtered: “We will destroy all Christians.” This is not the language of a land dispute or a tribal conflict; it is the chilling rhetoric of a religious extermination campaign, carried out with near-total impunity.
In the past year alone, 4,849 Christians have been killed for their faith worldwide, with a staggering 3,490 of those deaths occurring in Nigeria – a harrowing 72 percent of the global total. No other country on earth comes close to these numbers, and yet the world seems to be turning a blind eye to the carnage.
According to information obtained by UMVA, an average of 30 Christians were murdered every single day in Nigeria throughout 2025, according to a recent report. The statistics are equally grim over a longer period: since 2009, an estimated 125,000 Christians have been killed, more than 19,100 churches have been burned to the ground, and over 1,100 Christian communities have been seized and occupied by jihadist forces.
The horrors of these attacks are difficult to comprehend, but one night in Benue State on June 13, 2025, provides a glimpse into the unimaginable terror faced by Nigerian Christians. Fulani militants surrounded the village of Yelwata under the cover of darkness, unleashing a hail of gunfire, burning homes, and slaughtering approximately 150 Christians.
These attacks show no signs of abating, with militants even targeting Christian communities on the holiest days of the Christian calendar. On Palm Sunday 2026, militants entered the predominantly Christian community of Angwan Rukuba in Plateau State, opening fire on residents and killing at least 30 people.
Some leaders have begun to take notice, with Sen. Josh Hawley publicly labeling what is happening as genocide and Sen. Ted Cruz introducing the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act. The Trump administration officially designated Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern for religious freedom violations – but more needs to be done.
The Christian faith demands that we not turn a blind eye to the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Nigeria. They are members of the same Body of Christ, confessing the same Lord, holding the same hope, and sealed by the same Holy Spirit. When they suffer, we suffer with them – and it is our responsibility to act.
So what can we do? We can start by taking their suffering seriously in prayer, bringing the villages of Benue State before God by name, and pleading for the widows of Yelwata, the children who lost their fathers on Palm Sunday, and the pastors still standing in pulpits in communities that have been attacked again and again.
We can also consider supporting organizations like Open Doors International and International Christian Concern, which are working tirelessly on the ground in Nigeria to rebuild churches, support displaced families, and stand with believers when their own government has failed them.
And we can use our voices to raise awareness about the atrocities being committed against Nigerian Christians, applying accurate language to these atrocities and demanding action from our governments. The Nigerian church is not a charity case; they are resilient, faith-filled believers who deserve our solidarity and our support.
