S.O.S ALIEME

Recently, Donald Trump issued a warning to the Nigerian government that if the killing of Christians is not stopped in Nigeria, America will come and fight the terrorists responsible for the killings.   In my interpretation, I think Donald Trump did not say he wants to wage war against Nigeria as a country but he said the terrorists will be dismantled.  Why are Nigerians jittery about this? 

I will like to repeat some of the things I have been writing in the Catholic Weekly Independent for well-meaning Nigerians to judge and interprete for themselves if Christians are really being killed in Nigeria. The case of Leah Sharibu is still fresh in the memory of Nigerians. Fifteen-year old Leah Sharibu’s refusal to deny Christ and convert to Islam, cost her freedom, exemplifies what Christians are going through in Nigeria. Till this moment of writing this piece, Leah has not being released from captivity. The threat to make her a slave for life in captivity, by the Islamic Jihad in West Africa (ISWAP), a Boko Haram faction, says it all. However, the Nigerian authorities have always downplayed or denied this reality. By 2018, Boko Haram had killed more than 20,000 people and displaced nearly 2.6 million.

Michael Nnadi's death is another in a string of attacks against Christians in Nigeria, who have been targeted by terrorist groups like Boko Haram, but also by bandits seeking to extort money from the Catholic Church. The 18-year-old seminarian, Michael Nnadi is one of the four students of the Good Shepherds Major Seminary, who was abducted and killed by gunmen in Kaduna State and was laid to rest at the premises of the Seminary amidst tears and anguish. The Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Bishop Mathew Kukah, while delivering his homily said, “We know that Michael’s strength will inspire an army of young people to follow in his steps. “We will march on with the cross of Christ entrusted to us, not in agony or pain because our salvation lies in your cross. “We have no vengeance or bitterness in our hearts. We have no drop of sorrow inside us. We are honoured that our son has been summoned to receive the crown of martyrdom at the infancy of his journey to the priesthood. Leah Sharibu is a martyr for the faith and so is Michael.” This is the strong Christian faith.

On the 26 December, 2024, Nigerians received with rude shock the killing of Rev. Fr. Tobias Chukwujekwu Okonkwo. In a statement released by the Chancellor of the Diocese, Father Raphael Ezeogu, said the late priest “was shot dead by unidentified assailants at lhiala along Onitsha-Owerri Expressway around 7p.m.”  According to reports, Father Tobias, a pharmacist and native of Ekwulumili in Nnewi South Local Government area, was the Manager of the respected Schools of Nursing, Midwifery, and Medical Laboratory at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Ihiala. Nigeria has been battling a surge of violence orchestrated by gangs whose members carry out indiscriminate attacks, kidnapping for ransom, and, in some cases, killing. Boko Haram, a group that allegedly aims to turn Africa’s most populous nation into an Islamic nation, has been a major challenge in the country since 2009.

The killings in Owo cannot just slip by just like that without revisiting. According to an eye witness, the attack which lasted for about 30 minutes, saw some of the worshippers hid in the sacristy while the attack was going on. It was reported that the explosion blew up the ceiling in the Church, burying some worshippers. They bore the weight and pain in silence while the killers went about, picking off worshippers hiding under the pews.  Those who really experienced the incident will forever recall it in their memories. Dynamite residue littered the Church, while the vestry - where many hid - bears testimony to the chaos. Shoes, Bible pages soaked in blood, purses and other personal belongings are scattered about.  Grace was being shared when the first shot rang out. For dozens of worshippers at the St Francis Catholic Church in Owo, the Lord’s prayer turned into a viaticum - the final prayer. The armed men that burst through the Church doors around 11:30 on Sunday set off dynamite that had congregants scampering to escape the explosions.

As worshipers rushed for the other two exits in the chaos, they were met by more armed men, followed by more shots and loud bangs. At the end, eyewitnesses say at least 50 bodies - some of them children - were left strewn across the Church’s floors, while many more were injured. There was blood on the altar, blood on the floor, bodies on the pews. Owo is relatively peaceful and has been spared the wanton killings that seem to happen weekly across Nigeria.

Attacks on Churches have happened before - it was a tactic of Islamist militant group ISWAP and Boko Haram, but the gruesomeness of this attack has shocked many.

 

The attack is suspected by the Nigerian authorities to have been carried out by a militant group linked to the Islamic State network. While Islamic militants have attacked Christian targets especially Catholic faithful over many years, others have been carried out by vigilante mobs, or bandits not affiliated to any particular group. The situation is also complicated by the ongoing conflict between herders and farmers for resources such as land.

In a related development, two Catholic priests were kidnapped in Katsina, in the Northern part of the country. In another vein, two Catholic Priests were killed in separate attacks in their respective Nigerian Dioceses, one in Kaduna Archdiocese on Saturday, June 25, and the other in Auchi Diocese on Sunday, June 26. Aged 50, Fr. Vitus Borogo was killed on Saturday, June 25 at Prison Farm in Kaduna when “terrorists” raided the farm.

Meanwhile, 41-year-old Fr. Christopher Odia was also killed after having been abducted Sunday, June 26 morning as he left his Parish residence to go for Holy Mass. This might feel like a new wave of attacks on the Church, and worshippers like the survivors of Owo are shaken and devastated.

As Nigerians have speculated, it appears that Boko Haram has several interlocking elements at the present time. One is most probably centered around the figure of Abubakr Shekau, who represents the most doctrinally Salafi-jihadi section of the group. It is to him that one can attribute the most doctrinaire statements, such as his January 28, 2012, release threatening Muslims who do not fully observe Sharia: “There are no exceptions. Even if you are a Muslim and you can’t abide by Sharia we will kill you. Even if you are my own father, we will kill you.” It is tempting to see attacks such as the January 21 incident in Kano as the work of this faction of Boko Haram, while attacks against Christians are perhaps farmed out to other sections of the group.

Nigerian journalists have speculated that the group now exists on a franchise basis, and that some attacks on Christians, murderous as they are, represent local grievances. Of course, it is possible that a number of driving factors could be at play in the anti-Christian attacks.

To date, the Nigerian government has not demonstrated the ability to contain Boko Haram, and strong evidence that the group has been curtailed by any of the measures taken by the government does not exist. There is also no evidence that Boko Haram is making the transition to a more broad-based jihadist group (a transition that is usually marked by the creation of a counter society), nor has it succeeded in gathering mass support. Indeed, Boko Haram could very well have alienated Muslim public opinion by some of its indiscriminate killings. Although it is commonly discussed in the popular press, it is important not to assume that Boko Haram is about to transform into a transnational Salafi-jihadi group.

In some Northern states, increasing numbers of Christians are now dressing like Muslims to make their faith less obvious and reduce the chances of attack. Young Christians in these states are frequently denied access to higher education, and Christians have been asked to give up their faith in order to obtain work. Where do we go from here!!! However, God has the final say!!! My dear readers, these articles were written between 2020 and 2025 for publication. After reading this, what is your conclusion or your take on ‘Are Christians being persecuted in Nigeria or not?’

God Bless Nigeria!!!