Christian persecution in Nigeria is in the spotlight, after US President Donald Trump warned that the United States may take military action against Nigeria unless its government stops the killing of Christians by extremist groups.
It’s estimated that around 3,000 Christians have been killed between January and August in 2025 in Nigeria, although these numbers are contested.
The US president threatened to go into that “now disgraced country guns-a-blazing” and “immediately stop all aid and assistance” if the government “continues to allow the killing of Christians” by “Islamic terrorists”. He added that any US response would be “fast, vicious, and sweet, just like the terrorist thugs attack our cherished Christians”.
Trump’s intervention follows weeks of pressure from conservative Christian groups urging him to classify Nigeria as a “country of particular concern”.
Some analysts emphasise that the causes of persecution are often more complicated than just being religiously motivated, arguing that many incidents are linked to ethnic tensions, competition over land and water, and to other local disputes.
While abductions of priests and pastors have increased, some suggest that profit is the primary motivator, rather than religion, since such individuals are high-value victims whose communities can quickly pay ransom.
Nigeria’s leadership has swiftly contested Trump’s comments, with the country's president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insisting Nigeria “is a democracy with constitutional guarantees of religious liberty”.
Although Nigeria is officially secular, it is closely split between Muslims (53 per cent) and Christians (45 per cent). In his statements, Trump has not made mention of any violence against Muslims who have also been targeted by extremist religious groups, including Boko Haram.
The story of Nigerian catechist Tobias Yahaya and his near-fatal stabbing and return to ministry, which is captured in the video interview above, illustrates the human toll of such internicine communal violence.
He highlighted his religion as the reason he was attacked, saying: “I can say [the man’s] attack on me is solely because of my faith, because he testified in the court … It is because he saw me as an influence … to [his] children and religion.”
Asked if this reflected the broader issue of violence in the country, Tobias said: “The argument of whether it is religious or whatever it is, is not going to help matters.”
On 19 November, Tobias received the “Courage to be a Christian Award” from Aid to the Church in Need at Southwark Cathedral, London.
The day also marked the charity’s annual “Red Wednesday” initiative that illuminates buildings in red lights to raise international awareness of the persecution and discrimination of Christians around the world.
RELATED: Like him or not: Trump is the persecuted Church’s most forceful advocate
RELATED: BBC's Nigeria coverage: when fact-checking becomes editorial evasion
RELATED: 5.4 billion people at risk of losing freedom of religion, says new report
Photo: Tobias Yahaya (screenshot from video)
More about Aid to the Church’s work can be found here
