By Anamati Inyang- November 11, 2025
A growing number of Nigerians are expressing concern over what they describe as an ongoing genocide against Christian communities across the country, following years of mass killings, abductions, and religiously motivated attacks.
Public affairs commentator and legal practitioner, Paul Alobi Nyambi, recently reignited public attention on the issue through a detailed post on his Facebook page, chronicling decades of coordinated violence that has left thousands dead and entire communities displaced.
According to Nyambi’s compilation, the killings date back to the year 2000 and cut across several states, including Kebbi, Kaduna, Plateau, Benue, and Borno. He cited several major incidents that have occurred over the years, among them the February 2000 Yelwa Massacre in Kebbi State where 78 Christians were killed, the Kaduna riots of 2000 which claimed over 1,000 lives, and the November 2002 Miss World riots in Kaduna where around 250 Christians lost their lives.
He also highlighted the series of Boko Haram attacks between 2009 and 2011 that targeted hundreds of Christians, the December 2010 Christmas Eve bombings in Maiduguri and Jos which killed more than 38 people, and the 2011 Christmas Day attacks in Damaturu and Potiskum that left 45 dead alongside the Madala bombing that killed 46 Catholic worshippers.
Other incidents mentioned include the February 2014 Federal Government College massacre in Yobe where 59 Christian boys were burned alive, the April 2014 abduction of 276 Chibok schoolgirls, and the June 2022 Owo Church Massacre in Ondo State where 41 worshippers were gunned down during Pentecost Mass.
Nyambi’s list further includes the May 2022 killing of Deborah Samuel, a Christian student stoned and burned alive in Sokoto for alleged blasphemy; the December 2023 Plateau Christmas attacks which left more than 140 people dead in 26 villages; and a series of attacks in 2025 across Plateau and Benue States that claimed hundreds of lives and displaced thousands.
Figures from Intersociety, a human rights organisation, estimate that more than 7,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria between January and November 2025 alone.
Nyambi, in his post, questioned the nation’s collective silence and the apparent normalization of these atrocities. He wrote: “Can anyone disclaim these figures? If not, how else can we define genocide? If this is happening and it’s shameful to some people, then stop it.”
The figures and recurring nature of these attacks, according to analysts, reflect Nigeria’s deepening security crisis, with most of the violence attributed to terrorists, bandits, and armed herders.
Civil society groups, religious leaders, and legal experts have continued to call on the Federal Government to take decisive action to protect vulnerable populations and bring perpetrators to justice, warning that continued inaction could further threaten the nation’s fragile peace and unity.
