Faith under fire in Nigeria as churches razed and believers killed
Violence against Christians in Nigeria has surged, with priests increasingly targeted, churches destroyed, and millions displaced in what rights groups warn is a deepening humanitarian and security crisis.
On Sept. 19, Father Matthew Eya, parish priest of St. Charles in Enugu state, was ambushed and shot dead by armed men, according to Catholic News Agency. His killing underscores the rising danger clergy face in southeastern Nigeria, where jihadist groups and criminal gangs operate.
Between January and September 2025 alone, at least 15 priests were kidnapped, according to a report prepared by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety). Since 2015, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has documented 145 kidnappings, 11 murders, and four disappearances of priests. Intersociety estimates the true toll is far higher, with 600 clergy from various denominations attacked in the past decade.
Intersociety reports that since the Boko Haram insurgency began in 2009, more than 19,000 churches have been destroyed, looted, or forcibly closed, an average of three a day. Nearly 15 million Nigerians have been displaced as communities flee massacres, particularly in states such as Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, and Taraba. This means that the violence extends beyond the clergy.
The perpetrators include Boko Haram, its splinter group Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and armed Fulani militias. While some attacks are ideologically motivated, many involve ransom kidnappings and extortion. In Kaduna’s Rijana area, jihadist camps are believed to be holding at least 850 Christians, many subjected to torture or execution if ransoms go unpaid.
Intersociety has also accused elements within Nigeria’s security forces of complicity in kidnappings and killings, citing counterinsurgency operations in the southeast that critics say have blurred the line between state action and persecution.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, is home to the continent’s largest Christian community. International watchdog Open Doors ranks Nigeria sixth worldwide for Christian persecution, warning that unchecked violence risks destabilising the wider West African region.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
