The World’s Indifference to the Execution of Nigerian Christians

We live in a World of frequent pendulum shifts, wherein elite globalist leaders—theologians, journalists, politicians, and academics—purportedly call our attention to the need for social justice and fairness, as well as the desire to avoid extremism. Against this backdrop, commentator and comedian Bill Maher observes that Islamist groups are systematically wiping out Christians in Nigeria. At the same time, proponents of social justice seem to be riven with indifference and yawning apathy. 

As a consequence of the instability of the nation of Nigeria and the world’s indifference, Nigeria has become one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian. This situation exists because Islamic militants are attempting to wipe out the Christian population in Africa’s most populous country.

In addition, thousands of Christians have been kidnapped, and more than 19,000 churches have been destroyed, coupled with millions of believers displaced from their homes. Nevertheless, this genocide—replete with charred bodies and shattered lives—continues unabated despite the evidence.

Representative Chris Smith of New Jersey has reported that at least 5 million Nigerians—mostly Christians have been forced into camps or across the Nigerian border. Several Christian organizations are working diligently to reach persecuted believers worldwide. On the other hand, some outside advocacy groups are minimizing the genocide by labeling the persecution as simply a farmer-herder clash. 

Consistent with this move, commentators writing in the Journal of Contemporary African Studies offer a highly sophisticated, yet unbelievable, viewpoint designed to minimize the ongoing tragedy. Offering an ecofeminist perspective on the Fulani herders who savagely kill and maim Christians, the journal suggests that Nigerian genocidal violence is linked to climate change despite scientific evidence showing humans have only a small impact on carbon emissions and that such emissions, when they occur, are mainly beneficial to the earth.

Data from the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa shows conclusively that more Nigerian Christians are victimized by violence than Nigerians holding other religious affiliations. Consistent with this reality, award-winning journalist Lara Logan highlights the Western media's aversion to reporting the truth. She notes that Western elites prefer to blame the Nigerian slaughter on climate change while ignoring facts reported by Truth Nigeria showing that Nigerian religious violence includes Muslim militants placing women and children in cages and then burning them alive. 

While it is clear that the flight from such facts is designed to propagate a narrative intended to minimize and control our indignation, the existence of incontrovertible facts regarding Nigerian Christians provokes two questions: (1) Where is the outrage, and (2) when will Western Christians respond? 

Bill Maher and Gimba Kakanda offer two contrasting explanations of Western indifference to the Nigerian genocide. Maher, host of Real Time, states that it is simply “because the Jews aren’t involved. That’s why.” “It’s the Christians and the Muslims—who cares?” On the other hand, Gimba Kakanda, Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria, argues there is no Christian genocide in Nigeria. He contends that such claims are part of a coordinated effort to undermine Nigerian nationhood.

Neither Gimba Kakanda nor Bill Maher should be seen as a purveyor of the gospel truth. Nonetheless, Christians ought to be outraged that few members of the Western press are willing to report the annihilation of thousands of Nigerian Christians and that fewer governments are prepared to do anything about it. 

Neither Bill Maher nor Gimba Kakanda should have the final word. We all bear a responsibility for advancing, proclaiming, and responding to the truth.

First, Christians should respond to the unmistakable facts on the ground and proclaim the truth without apology. But this is only the first step.

Second, Christians should encourage the nation-state of Nigeria to do more to stop the violence. After all, the United States, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, and Canada were among the top buyers of Nigeria’s crude oil in 2024. This trade amounts to a continuing subsidy to violence.

Third, Christian should bring attention to the Nigerian violence by noting that on December 11, 1948, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was opened for signatures. Either through accession or ratification, the following parties accepted this convention: Nigeria, Spain, France, and Canada. The United States signed the treaty in December 1948 and ratified the Convention in November 1988.

Genocide remains one of the gravest crimes under international law. Article II of the Genocide Convention states, “that acts conducted with the purpose of eradicating a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group in whole or in part constitute genocide. The Convention is not self-executing, and any prosecution of parties alleged to have violated this Convention faces numerous hurdles, including current gaps in enforcement. Despite the political and other hurdles that afflict prosecutorial efforts, Christians should seek to ensure that this convention is enforced.

Fourth, a more straightforward approach to placing pressure on Nigeria surfaces within the realm of sanctions. Consistent with this possibility, the U. S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa approved measures urging President Trump to impose sanctions on Nigeria owing to the widespread persecution of Christians. 

After condemning the Nigerian government’s failure to protect Christian communities from escalating violence and after examining a report indicating that Nigeria accounted for 90% of all Christians killed globally each year, the committee emphasized the severity of the crisis that allowed terrorists to operate with impunity. Christians should support the imposition of harsh sanctions on Nigeria.

While the State Department has told Newsweek that it is “deeply concerned about the levels of violence against Christians and members of other groups in Nigeria,” there is little evidence that the Trump Administration is willing to impose sanctions on the country. Deep concern by the State Department is not enough. 

While all of the efforts mentioned above should command our attention, we ought to remember that the apostle John offers an eternal perspective on the plight of Nigerian Christians by observing that: 

I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 

At the same time, after viewing this genocide from a temporal perspective and after fleeing our own indifference, the Nigerian genocide should provoke a demand for action now. Prompted by courage and the Holy Spirit, we should be prepared to act on behalf of Nigerian Christians.