Nigeria: violence hits Christian communities in the center of the country again

Persecution and violence against Christian communities continue to be a reality in Nigeria, especially in the states of the so-called Middle Belt, where armed clashes, kidnappings and attacks against rural populations have forced thousands of people to leave their homes.

One of the most recent episodes occurred on September 10 in Ayilamo, a predominantly Christian community in Benue State. According to the state police, a group of armed men attacked the town and caused the death of eleven people, including four agents who participated in the confrontation. Authorities later deployed reinforcements to the area.

Violence has also reached the neighboring state of Plateau. During the same weekend, several attacks were reported, including the murder of passengers in a vehicle heading towards Jos. These episodes add to a situation of insecurity that especially affects agricultural communities, where the Christian population fears returning to their lands for fear of new attacks.

The religious dimension of this violence coexists, however, with other factors such as conflicts over land, the activity of armed groups and crime. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) notes that groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP and various militias have committed serious attacks against religious communities, while the Christian population has been especially affected in several areas of the center of the country.

A report published in September by the organization Intersociety puts the number of Christians murdered in Nigeria at 3,083 between January and August 2026 and 3,193 being kidnapped. These figures come from a civil rights organization and should be interpreted as their own estimate, not an official record.

For affected communities, persecution does not end with an attack: it also means losing land, homes, security and, in many cases, the possibility of returning to their places of origin.