Imagine awakening in the dead of night, the stars still pinned to the sky, and then hearing the crack of gunfire, the roar of engines, the screams of neighbours. You run outside, into smoke and blood and confusion—and you realise this wasn’t a robbery; this was a massacre, and it was your church, your village.
For many Christian communities in Nigeria, this isn’t a horror‑movie plot. It is reality.
Now, as we speak, the United State of America and Nigeria, our dear motherland, are going head to head as claims of mass genocide against the Christian community spreads.
As we examine five of the darkest chapters in recent Nigerian history, we do so not merely to tally tragedies but to ask: Is this genocide?, Why is the world so quiet And what must we remember, lest the cost be forgotten?
1. The 2004 Yelwa massacre (February – May 2004)
In the fertile fields of Plateau State, the town of Yelwa became a nightmare.
On 4 February 2004, armed attackers (mostly Muslims) stormed a Christian church compound, murdering more than 78 worshippers, including 48 inside the church.
Then, in May, Christian communities retaliated: some 630 people died in the counter‑attacks.
It shows how religious identity, land disputes, and communal tensions fuse dangerously. The laughter of church choirs turned into wails overnight.
2. The 2001 Jos massacre (September 2001)
In Jos, Plateau State, violence erupted between Christians and Muslims in a city that had long been a relative oasis of peace.
Over about six days (7‑13 September 2001), hundreds were killed, thousands displaced.
This episode underlines how even cities with inter‑faith history aren’t immune. Peaceful neighbours can turn into targets when tensions escalate.
3. The 2022 Owo church massacre (5 June 2022)
On Pentecost Sunday at St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo in Ondo State, gunmen and a bomb targeted worshippers, killing at least 50 and injuring many more.
A faith gathering turned into a slaughter. The church shouldn’t be a battlefield. But there it was.
4. The 2023 Runji massacre (15 April 2023)
In Runji, Zangon Kataf LGA, Kaduna State, bandits attacked a Christian village, killing at least 33.
It highlights that the violence is not only about church bombings and high‑profile attacks—village massacres, rural ambushes, everyday terror matter too.
5. The 2025 Yelwata massacre (12‑13 June 2025)
In the Christian village of Yelwata in Benue State, more than 200 Christians were murdered in one night, many having fled earlier attacks only to be ambushed.
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This is perhaps the most recent in our list—and it screams urgency. The numbers are massive, the trauma immediate.
What Does It All Add Up To—And Why Call It “Genocide”?
The term “genocide” is heavy: deliberate destruction of a group, in whole or part.
Are the five cases above genocide? Many analysts say yes—or at least part of a pattern of targeted killing of Christians in Nigeria.
Key points:
* Since 2000, groups say at least 62,000 Christians murdered in Nigeria.
* In the first 220 days of 2025 alone, over 7,000 Christians killed.
* The majority of targeted victims in rural Middle Belt and northern states are Christian farmers, villagers, church‑goers.
Story Matters
You didn’t come here for a walk in the park—and this isn’t one. Nigeria’s Christian communities have been hit repeatedly: from churches to villages, from church pews to fields, the violence is real and brutal.
But story matters. When we tell it—honestly, courageously, with a flicker of humour to keep our humanity intact—we keep the hope alive.
So let us remember. Let us speak. Because silence is perhaps the luxury no victim deserves.
