Nigeria “now the deadliest place on earth” for a Christian: Catholic Activists in Africa

“While many of us welcomed 2026 in the safety of our homes, Christian families in Nigeria spent their nights listening to the crackle of gunfire,” the activists say, adding that for Nigerians, the Holy Season of Advent was “a season of terror.”

In an effort to stem violence against Christians in Africa’s most populous nation, the U.S. conducted airstrikes on ISIS in Nigeria on Christmas Day of 2025.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on 25 December that with the support of the Nigerian government, the U.S. military carried out strikes against elements of ISIS in Nigeria that “have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians.”

“I have previously warned these terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump said of the December 25 action.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that “precision hits on terrorist targets” in the country’s northwestern Sokoto state were carried out in cooperation with the United States.

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Nigeria “now the deadliest place on earth” for a Christian: Catholic Activists in Africa

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U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said he was “grateful for Nigerian government support and cooperation” in the counterterrorism effort.

In their January 8 petition, the Catholic activists laud the move taken by the U.S., saying, “The message was unmistakable: the slaughter of Christians cannot continue without consequences.”

They also acknowledge with appreciation other actions that the U.S. has taken to defend Christians in Nigeria, including designating it as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for religious freedom violations.

The designation, they say, “is a powerful legal tool, but it remains a hollow label unless it is backed by decisive action. It is time to turn ‘concern’ into consequences.”

“The United States has acted. Now the rest of the world’s governments must decide whether they will look away or stand for justice,” the Catholic activists say in their January 8 petition.

The activists further say that the scale of the slaughter in Nigeria is a global scandal, noting that “8 out of every 10 Christians killed for their faith worldwide are murdered on Nigerian soil. Let that sink in.”

The Catholic activists reaffirm their commitment to denouncing the atrocities carried out against Christians in Nigeria, saying, “The world glances, murmurs, and slides back into indifference. But we cannot.”

The activists underscore the importance of signing their petition, saying it will go a long way in prompting Prime Ministers and Ministers of Foreign Affairs to enforce sanctions against the perpetrators.

They explain that enforcing sanctions against perpetrators will involve freezing the assets of militia leaders and the officials who turn a blind eye to the bloodshed.

The activists say that signing the petition will also put pressure on respective Prime Ministers and Ministers of Foreign Affairs to implement Visa bans, thus closing the doors of the international community to anyone complicit in religious persecution.

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They further explain that signing the petition will enable ministers to tie International Aid to Protection by ensuring that foreign assistance is strictly conditioned on the verified protection of Christian communities.

Silas Mwale Isenjia is a Kenyan journalist with a great zeal and interest for Catholic Church related communication. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Linguistics, Media and Communication from Moi University in Kenya. Silas has vast experience in the Media production industry. He currently works as a Journalist for ACI Africa.