The Secret War Against Nigeria’s Christians: 8 Key Insights
The secret war against Nigeria’s Christians has been underway for many years. The world has largely ignored it. But that must not be the case for biblical Christians around the globe. Many of us have no clue what’s been going on, simply because there is so little reporting. But the circumstances are dire, the needs great and the details concealed. So take five minutes today and learn the following eight key takeaways about this war being waged. You will quickly become better prepared to pray and advocate for your brothers and sisters in Nigeria.
Insight 1: Islamist militants are prosecuting the secret war against Nigeria’s Christians. They are well-armed, well-trained and well-coordinated. This is not a mere tribal rift or dispute between farmers and herders. It is not a conflict driven by “climate change” or mineral rights. It is arguably the largest case of physical persecution targeting Christians today.
The war is aided and abetted by both local collaborators and international groups committed to Islamist ends. There are reports that during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns, this network moved large quantities of weapons to be used for their strategic plans. Those same reports suggest that sympathetic government officials helped finance such transfers using government funds. Takeaway: This campaign is well orchestrated.
Insight 2: The ethnic and religious cleansing of Nigerian Christians is the strategic goal. A region of Nigeria known as the Middle Belt is the primary area where these atrocities unfold. It will not stop there though. If successful, Islamists will advance a similar campaign across the entire country of Nigeria, seeking to eliminate its Christian witness and institute a Nigerian Islamic State. Takeaway: The annihilation of Nigerian Christianity is the goal.
Insight 3: The attacks are sophisticated. They are not random flare ups or informal disputes. The soldiers that set upon Nigerian families are trained. They execute military tactics and sometimes deploy sophisticated weaponry. In one case, they even downed a military fighter jet. Takeaway: Intentional attacks will increasingly display professional lethality.
Insight 4: Victims are portrayed as villains, and villains as victims. When a community is attacked, efforts are made to prevent the story from being quickly and accurately reported. After a few days, the story can start to leak out, but only after other narratives have blanketed the airwaves. False narratives are aired ahead-of-time, effectively muddying the waters or advancing outright lies. Takeaway: Dedicated information operations aim to conceal the truth.
Insight 5: False Flags and False Media Reports. False flags and false reporting are the mechanisms for portraying victims as villains and villains as victims. If there is a mass attack and the news cannot be contained, a random report will be filed that one or two corpses of Fulani Muslims are found. No further details, no locations, no names are provided. Just a random report with nothing to verify.
This is a false flag; an action that disguises who is responsible and shifts the blame. Even after 400 Christians were murdered by Islamists earlier in 2023, Nigerian authorities responded to such a false flag report to investigate not the Islamic militants, but the Christians. Christians who tried to protect their villages were branded as “bandits” and punished. The media dutifully reported that these “bandits” were dealt with and all reporting about the incident ended. The public was led to believe the Islamist attackers were held accountable. In reality, they were left largely untouched, while the Christian victims were again abused. Sadly, this same tactic was dusted off and used again after the recent Christmas massacres just weeks ago. Takeaway: Predictable lies should be anticipated after any significant attack against Christians—in Nigeria and abroad.
Insight 6: Nigeria’s Christians are not only poorly armed, they are intentionally being disarmed further. Their means of protecting themselves are often very simple, especially compared to the weaponry brandished by the Islamist militants. Nevertheless, on several occasions, regional authorities approached a Christian village, emphasizing the need for peace. They encouraged the Christian village to sign a “peace pact,” which required them to cede away some of their ancestral lands. The Christian community was also convinced to turn over the limited means they had for defending themselves, as a token of their goodwill. Sometimes within hours of surrendering their arms, the Christian villages were attacked by Islamist militants. Takeaway: Nigeria’s Christians are currently incapable of defending themselves, and local security services are either unwilling or unable to do so.
Insight 7: Christian areas have been occupied and even renamed. Christian districts have been pressured into becoming emirates. An emirate is an Islamic rulership subject to Shariah law. For example, a regional Christian political leader was abducted and assassinated. Instead of replacing him with another Christian leader, the area was converted into an Islamic emirate. Takeaway: Islamists lock in their gains against besieged Christian communities, ultimately changing their form of government and identity.
Insight 8: Attacking on Christian holy days is a common Islamist tactic. By assaulting believers on Christmas or Easter, Islamist militants maximize the damage inflicted. More families are often present, meaning more people killed or maimed. And by turning what was a worshipful celebration into abject horror, the Islamists amplify the emotional and spiritual trauma. Attacks on Christian holy days have taken place in many countries, such as Iraq and Pakistan. However, in recent years, the practice of targeting Christians on Christmas has become particularly pronounced in Nigeria. Takeaway: Christians in Nigeria and around the world must know attacks over Christmas are possible, and take precautions accordingly.
There you have it: eight key insights and takeaways from the recent Christmas attacks in Nigeria. But it is not enough to simply know more about the plight of Nigeria’s Christians. We must convert this knowledge into faithful action. Each insight above represents a prayer point. Prayer is powerful and you now know how better to tailor your prayers. Please do so.
Also share about the plight of Nigeria’s Christians in your own circles. If small groups and churches across the globe begin to know about these secretive attacks against the Church, more light will be prayed over those situations.
If you want to learn more about the secret war against Nigeria’s Christians, listen to the recent Christian Emergency Podcast. You can find the discussion on Apple Podcasts (link), Google Podcasts, Spotify (link) or even on our website (link).
If you would like to partner with the Christian Emergency Alliance in responding to these attacks and helping those affected, your support would be most appreciated. You can do so here.
In closing, we know these topics are not common when discussing Christianity, faith and missions. But this is the reality faced by Nigeria’s Christians. Let us join together in prayer and action for our brothers and sisters in Nigeria—just as we would ask them to do if the tables were turned.