Nigeria Christian persecution 2025 Bola Ahmed Tinubu is complicit ?”
1. Large-scale killings of Christian civilians in Nigeria
Multiple reports indicate that Christian communities in Nigeria have suffered large numbers of deaths, abductions and assaults. One article noted, for example, that from January-July 2020, “jihadist herdsmen … no fewer than 1,027 Christian deaths and destruction or burning of thousands of houses and hundreds of worship and learning centres” occurred. (Modern Diplomacy)
Some estimates claim “over 30,000 Christian lives and more than 17,000 churches and Christian schools have been lost since July 2009.” (Modern Diplomacy)
The sheer scale is used by some to describe the situation as a “silent genocide”. (Wikipedia)
2. Targeting of Christian-majority regions, especially in the Middle Belt & North-Central
The violence is especially concentrated in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and north-central states (e.g., Benue State, Plateau State) where indigenous Christian farmers often live adjacent to or in competition with Muslim herder-communities (often Fulani). For example, an April 2025 attack left at least 40 people dead in a Plateau village. (NPR)
This geographic pattern aligns with Christian population clusters and has raised questions about whether the violence is, at least in part, directed at Christians rather than purely resource-based.
3. Destruction of churches, schools and Christian infrastructure
Beyond individual killings, reports point to systematic destruction of Christian communal infrastructure: schools, churches, missions. For instance, the 2020 article claimed thousands of Christian houses and hundreds of worship/learning centres were destroyed. (Modern Diplomacy)
The Christian umbrella body Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) declared that “What is happening … in several parts of Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt amounts to a ‘Christian genocide’”. (Vanguard News)
4. Government denial and contested statistics
The Tinubu administration and its spokespeople have denied the claim that Christians are being specifically targeted on a religious basis. The presidency, via its Special Adviser, said “little or no case at all of persecution of Christians anywhere in the country” since May 29 2023. (Naija News)
In October 2025, President Tinubu said: “No religious persecution in Nigeria, it is a lie from the pit of hell”. (Vanguard News)
This puts the situation into contested terrain: on one side dramatic claims of genocide, on the other official minimisation and different interpretation of motivations (e.g., land-conflict, banditry). (Al Jazeera)
5. The government’s responsibility and accusations of inaction
Civil society groups assert that the government has failed in its duty to protect Christian citizens. For example the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) in April 2025 called on Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief, “to fully assume his constitutional role … by taking decisive action against bandits and terrorists responsible for the ongoing bloodshed”. (The Guardian Nigeria)
Critics argue that the government’s response has been slow, piecemeal or favouring certain regions, thereby enabling repeated attacks.
6. Outside influences & complicating dynamics: herders, resource conflict & religious overlay
While many incidents affect Christians, analysts emphasise that the root causes are not solely religious. For example, the Al Jazeera opinion piece states the majority of victims of Boko Haram insurgency have been Muslims, and that framing the violence strictly as Muslims vs Christians “grossly misrepresents the situation”. (Al Jazeera)
The violent herder-farmer conflicts (which often pit mostly Muslim Fulani herders against mostly Christian farming communities) involve resource competition (land, water) intensified by climate change and state-weakness. (Al Jazeera)
Still, many Christian leaders insist that while resource-driven, the violence has distinct religious targeting: “Christian communities have suffered repeated, organised and brutal attacks … These are not isolated crimes but a continuing pattern of violence that has persisted for years without justice.” (Vanguard News)
7. Alleged complicity or selective enforcement by the Tinubu government
While few credible sources state that President Tinubu himself is actively directing violence against Christians, there are accusations of selective enforcement and delayed action when Christian communities are attacked. For example, after an attack in Benue State that killed at least 150 people, Tinubu visited the state but was criticised for not visiting the worst-hit village. (AP News)
Moreover, Christian bodies argue that despite repeated appeals, protection and justice have not been equitably applied. This has led some to accuse the administration of implicit complicity (via omission) or failing to uphold equal protection.
8. The role of external propaganda, media and international pressure
Some of the debate around Christian killings in Nigeria involves how the narrative is framed internationally. The Christian Association of Nigeria objected to the presidency’s portrayal of their claims, insisting their language had been misrepresented. (Vanguard News)
Conversely, critics say that media focusing only on religious labels can oversimplify complex local conflicts, pointing to ethnic, economic and environmental factors. (Al Jazeera)
External actors (foreign NGOs, media outlets, diaspora advocacy groups) raise awareness of Christian suffering, but some Nigerian observers view this as instrumentalising the issue or lacking nuance.
9. Legal, institutional and accountability gaps
Even where attacks on Christians are documented, the institutional response is weak: arrests are few, prosecutions slow, and victims often receive little redress. For example, the presidency dismissed claims of Christian persecution, questioning the accuracy of external reports. (Tribune Online)
The gap between millions of claimed victims and the relatively few convictions or systemic reforms has raised concerns that violence continues with impunity, which critics say amounts to state-enablement of a pattern of abuse.
10. Implications for Nigerian Christians, identity and the wider faith community
For many Christian communities in Nigeria, especially in rural Middle Belt areas, the repeated violence represents a deep existential threat: displacement, loss of homes, churches and livelihoods. Christian leaders warn of shrinking safe spaces for faith-based life. (Atlantic Post)
For the wider Nigerian state, the failure to squarely address this issue undermines national cohesion, fuels religious polarisation, and risks international reputational damage. Domestically, the sense among many Christians is that their plight is not being taken as seriously as other security issues.
Some faith-based analysts argue that silence or denial from the government contributes to a deepening mistrust that Nigeria’s pluralistic model is being eroded.
Conclusion
The evidence shows substantial violence against Christian communities in Nigeria, concentrated in certain regions, involving killings, abductions, and destruction of infrastructure. Whether one defines it as “genocide” remains contested, given overlapping motives (religion, land, ethnicity, climate, crime). What is less contested is that Christian groups feel under-protected and view the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as not sufficiently acting, maybe even implicitly complicit through inaction or selective responses. Outside forces—including militant herders, Islamist insurgents and international media/advocacy actors—add layers of complexity to the conflict.
