Nigeria (MNN) — Nigerians now face a wildfire of persecution. As Islamist attacks on Christians go unpunished, this fuels their growth.

Less than three weeks after over 200 Christians were massacred in Yelwata village, Benue State, four more were killed in the same area. In nearby Plateau State, six Christians were slain last week in Riyom County — part of 64 killings in recent weeks. Beyond the physical destruction, vast hectares of farmland have been lost and many homes burned.

Greg Musselman from Voice of the Martyrs Canada says, “The sad part about this is that the security forces don’t seem to have either the will, the manpower, the know-how — whatever it is — to be able to stop these attacks.”

People praying in Nigerian church (representative photo courtesy of David Iloba via Pexels)

More than six extremist ideology groups, despite their differences, are joining forces and recruiting more fighters. Among them are Boko Haram, the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP), the broader Islamic State network, the Taliban, Fulani herdsmen, and Lacurawa.

“These Islamic groups seem to feel that they can just attack the Christians and not much is going to happen to them,” says Musselman.

The geography of violence is also shifting — spreading from northern to southern Nigeria. Many Christians flee their homes, but some are still pursued, as seen in recent attacks in Benue and Plateau states.

Musselman explains: “You’ve got families already grieving. They’ve lost their loved ones, and now they know there’s really no safe place to go — and these militias are determined to rid these areas of Christians.” Their goal is to spread fear, demoralize the church and many Christians, and force them to flee.

Some believers accept the risk of martyrdom and remain in their homes.

Musselman adds, “And they’re saying, ‘Well, you know, if we die, we die…’ And others, they’re overwhelmed by the fact that they could be killed.”

The despair is real, but so is the response. The Church, both locally and globally, is rising to pray and act. Voice of the Martyrs Canada is helping raise awareness and provide support for Nigerian Christians.

Pray that Nigerian Christians will have the freedom to believe in Christ in their own homeland!

Header photo: Nigerian church (courtesy of Tosin Superson via Pexels).