(RNS) — As Christians across the globe prepare to celebrate Easter, many in Nigeria fear they may be unable to observe the sacred day due to escalating attacks from Islamic militants.
“We could not celebrate Palm Sunday due to the security situation in our area,” Mary Yakubu, a resident of Nigeria’s central Plateau state, where nearly 200 Christians were killed on Christmas Eve in 2023, told RNS by phone. “Once again, we will be unable to prepare and celebrate Easter, as most churches here are closed and people fear gathering due to the ongoing attacks on churches and worshippers.”
Yakubu’s fear is not unique. Communities in Plateau and other regions are facing a new wave of attacks by Islamic militant groups including the Fulani, Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province. The nation of over 236 million people has seen the jihadist violence escalate in the last couple weeks.
In Plateau, over 60 Christians were killed by radicalized Fulani militants in a series of violent attacks in early April. The attacks targeted several villages and have also resulted in the displacement of more than 1,000 Christians and the destruction of 383 homes, said community leader Maren Aradong. State Gov. Caleb Mutfwang referred to the assaults as a genocide.
Open Doors — a group that supports persecuted Christians around the world — estimates that over a hundred million people, or 46.5% of the population in Nigeria, identify as Christian.
According to the Open Doors World Watch List, approximately 3,100 Christians were killed and 2,830 were kidnapped in Nigeria in 2024 — far surpassing any o …