Fears remain this Easter that Christians in Nigeria are being ‘wiped out' by Muslim extremists

It’s going to beryllium a wretched and fearful Easter for Christians successful Nigeria. 

The sidesplitting and persecution of Christians by Islamist militants intent connected creating a moslem caliphate successful this West African state is continuing seemingly unchecked contempt the colonisation being 46% Christian.

"Nigeria’s Christians are being wiped out; we request to telephone it what it is — genocide," Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern (ICC), a persecution watchdog, told Fox News Digital.

"Let’s commencement with the horrible attacks connected April 2-3, 2025, successful (Nigeria’s) Plateau State’s Bokkos County. Over 60 Christians (were) slaughtered, and 383 homes torched" King said. "Families were burned alive, and kids were near homeless. It’s gut-wrenching. The worst happening is that there’s nothing genuinely "special" astir this attack. This has gone connected for 20 years and has lone expanded."

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At slightest 51 Christians were killed successful different onslaught successful Nigeria's Plateau State.  (Reuters)

King believes Nigeria is simply a sidesplitting tract for Christians, and that this isn’t random violence. He continued with figures, confirmed by section leaders connected the crushed successful Nigeria.

"It’s a calculated propulsion from the Fulanis to erase Christians from their homeland, Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Since 2001, up to 100,000 Christians person been butchered, and 3.5 cardinal farmers person been kicked disconnected their onshore by Fulani Islamist terrorists. They rotation successful with AK-47s, machetes and gasoline, and nary one’s stopping them. For 20 years, the authorities has done nothing.

"This is simply a monolithic onshore drawback disguised arsenic a quality oregon tribal spat. What we are witnessing is simply a monolithic and long-running stealth jihad."

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One pistillate widowed successful an onslaught is reported to person told the ICC, "They privation our land, our lives, our Jesus."

Just past weekend, the ICC and section sources claim, different 54 Christians were slaughtered aft celebrating astatine a Palm Sunday work successful the colony of Zikke, adjacent Jos. The onslaught reportedly went connected for a coagulated hr with nary effort by authorities to halt it.

Members of St. Leo Catholic Church clasp a procession to people Palm Sunday successful Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, April 13, 2025. (Adekunle Ajayi/Getty Images)

Members of the Christian radical Open Doors UK successful Nigeria showed Fox News Digital a database of different attacks successful Nigeria successful the past month.

• March 24 — Dundu village, Bassa LGA. Militants ambushed 3 Christian farmers portion they were cultivating their land.
• March 27  — Ruwi community, Bokkos LGA. Fulani militants killed 11 Christians attending a funeral.
• April 2. — Bokkos LGA, Militants attacked Tamiso village, wherever women were having a Christian fellowship gathering astatine a COCIN (Church of Christ successful Nations) church, sidesplitting astatine slightest five. The colony of Dafo was besides attacked, sidesplitting two.
• April 6 — Militants killed 4 radical successful Pyakmula colony successful Bokkos LGA.
• April 7 — Harra colony successful the Bassa LGA sidesplitting 3 people.
• April 8 — Three abstracted attacks were launched, sidesplitting astatine slightest 2 successful Bassa LGA.
• April 11 — Militants attacked Zogu colony successful Bassa LGA, sidesplitting 3 people, a begetter and his 2 sons. The begetter was beheaded by the militants, according to OD tract contacts.

Nigeria ranks seventh on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watchlist, an yearly scale of countries wherever Christians look the astir persecution.

"Christians successful bluish and cardinal Nigeria look utmost unit from Boko Haram, ISWAP, (Islamic State West African Province) and equipped Fulani militants who person killed thousands of believers, destroyed hundreds of churches and displaced full Christian communities," Ryan Brown, CEO of Open Doors US, told Fox News Digital.  "The caller attacks successful Plateau State correspond yet different section successful this ongoing situation of spiritual persecution.

"These attacks person devastated communities that were inactive recovering from the Christmas Eve massacre that killed astir 200 Christians successful the aforesaid portion successful 2023."

Nigerian soldiers unafraid the country extracurricular St. Francis Catholic Church successful the municipality of Owo, Nigeria, June 6, 2022, a time aft an onslaught that targeted worshippers. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Families person mislaid antheral breadwinners, with women and children often sexually assaulted, Brown added. 

"Survivors are present surviving successful astatine slightest 4 displacement camps, facing nutrient insecurity and incapable to entree acquisition oregon worship safely," Brown added.

Bishop Ayuba Matawal has profiled the Islamist killers. Matawal is chairman of the Nigerian Bokkos Internally Displaced People’s Welfare Committee. 

"It appears that immoderate of these extremists person been indoctrinated with an ideology of seizing onshore from Christian communities, continuing the bequest of Uthman dan Fodio’s imaginativeness of spreading Islam crossed Nigeria," helium said. "Although their numbers whitethorn beryllium small, these extremists person inflicted terrible harm connected Christian communities."

The ICC’s King told Fox News Digital helium is calling upon the State Department to database Nigeria "as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC)." 

This is simply a U.S. authorities statement that means sanctions, unit and existent consequences.

King added that helium believes the U.S. should  "cut disconnected each (financial and military) assistance to Nigeria until we commencement to spot a meaningful simplification successful attacks, perpetrators arrested and lands restored."

Rangers patrol astatine the Kainji Lake National Park successful Nigeria's Niger State successful February 2023. (Nigerian Conservation Foundation via AP)

While not mentioning the attacks connected Christians, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "The United States remains profoundly acrophobic by the ongoing unit successful West Africa, including successful Nigeria’s Middle Belt. We connection our condolences to the victims’ families of caller unit successful Plateau State.

"We besides proceed to prosecute with the authorities of Nigeria astatine the highest levels to code (the) basal causes of violence, and we powerfully advocator for the extortion of each citizens.

"We admit (Nigerian) President Tinubu’s committedness to code the causes of the unit and impulse the authorities to instrumentality meaningful and decisive steps to forestall further attacks, guarantee accountability for perpetrators and foster semipermanent bid and stability "

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In Nigeria, Bishop Matawal cautioned that, this Easter weekend, "Christian communities are connected precocious alert, particularly during religion services and spiritual gatherings."

"Nigerian Christians are carrying their transverse each day, yet their anticipation rises similar the resurrection," King said. "Easter is each astir beingness winning implicit death, and these Christians are surviving that out. But let’s rise a outcry and accidental "we perceive you, we are with you, clasp connected conscionable a spot longer."

Fox News Digital reached retired to the Nigerian authorities but did not person a response.