YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – A coalition of politically engaged Christian organizations and leaders, operating under the banner “Joint Christian Body Against Insecurity in Nigeria,” has called on Nigerian Christians to actively resist ongoing persecution.

The call comes amid rising concerns that Nigeria remains one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a Christian. Various watchdog groups have repeatedly ranked the country among the worst globally for religious freedom, citing frequent attacks, abductions, and killings.

Tragically, this year’s Holy Week saw renewed violence as suspected Fulani jihadist herdsmen reportedly killed around 170 people in Plateau and Benue States. These killings are part of a disturbing trend. According to International Christian Concern, at least 300 Christians were massacred in Nigeria during the first quarter of 2025 alone. Many more have been abducted or displaced.

A 2023 report by the Catholic-inspired NGO International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) stated that more than 50,000 Christians have been killed since 2009, when Boko Haram launched its violent campaign targeting Christianity in Nigeria. The same report also detailed the destruction of approximately 18,000 churches and 2,200 Christian schools, while an estimated 34,000 moderate Muslims have also lost their lives in Islamist attacks.

Global Christian Relief reports that Nigeria accounts for the majority of Christian deaths worldwide each year—often more than the rest of the world combined. The group noted that of every ten Christians killed globally, nine are from Nigeria.

What began as localized violence in northern Nigeria following the adoption of Sharia law by 12 states in 1999 has now spread across the Middle Belt and into southern regions. With the rise of extremist groups such as Fulani jihadist herdsmen and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), attacks on Christians have become increasingly widespread and deadly.

In response, a coalition known as the Joint Christian Body Against Insecurity in Nigeria has issued a forceful call to action, urging Christians across the country to stand up and defend themselves against what they describe as “systematic genocide.”

“Enough is enough,” the group declared in a statement signed by Dr. Nwankwo Tony Nwaezeigwe, President of the International Coalition Against Christian Genocide in Nigeria (ICAC-GEN) and Director of Public Affairs. The statement criticized both the Nigerian government and the leadership of Christian organizations for their perceived inaction and complicity.

“The value of a Christian life in Nigeria today has fallen below that of a Fulani cow,” the coalition said, expressing outrage over the frequency and brutality of attacks targeting Christian communities. They alleged that state and federal governments, as well as security agencies, are either indifferent or complicit in the ongoing violence.

They called on Christians to confront, in their words, “these hordes of Muslim criminals masquerading as Fulani herdsmen, bandits, Boko Haram, and ISWAP insurgents.”

The coalition also condemned the silence or weakness of major Christian institutions including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), the Christian Council of Nigeria (CCN), and the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN). “Nigerian Christians have become sheep without shepherds—orphans without guardians,” the group stated, vowing to step into the leadership vacuum themselves.

While the coalition stopped short of explicitly calling for violence, their message strongly implied a readiness for armed self-defense. They cited Luke 22:35-36, where Jesus tells his disciples to buy swords if necessary, suggesting that even the early apostles were prepared for self-defense.

Dr. Nwaezeigwe, speaking to Crux, defended the coalition’s stance. “The question of whether Christians should defend themselves does not arise,” he said. “Christianity came to Africa through the sword of European colonialism.” He insisted it is time for Nigerian Christians to take their safety into their own hands.

His sentiment is echoed by Catholic Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja, who recently told ACI Africa that self-defense is a matter of “natural justice.”

“You can’t just sit there while someone comes to kill your family,” Kaigama said. “You must rise up and protect yourself and your community against these bloodthirsty criminals.”