850 Christians remain captive in the notorious Rijana forest, a sprawling jihadist enclave in southern Kaduna State, Nigeria
Newsroom (30/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) Testimonies from Nigerians kidnapped by jihadist Fulani herdsmen reveal that approximately 850 Christians remain captive in the notorious Rijana forest, a sprawling jihadist enclave in southern Kaduna State, Nigeria. The captives, held in close proximity to Nigerian military bases, are enduring brutal conditions, with reports of starvation, beatings, and executions.
In a statement shared with ACI Africa on September 28, 2025, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) condemned the ongoing persecution of Christians in the region, calling for their immediate release. Quoting a September 4 report by TruthNigeria titled “Inside Rijana: Nigeria’s Forest of Hostages,” Intersociety researchers detailed accounts from survivors who described being marched to Rijana, a hidden settlement in the forest likened to “a secret village of its own.”
Victims reported the existence of 11 major camps in Rijana, each holding over 50 hostages, and 10 smaller camps with approximately 30 captives each. As of August 2025, an estimated 850 Christians were being held across these camps. Intersociety expressed outrage that such a large-scale hostage crisis persists near military installations, including the Nigerian Army Table Hill Training Area and Army School of Artillery along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway.
“No fewer than 850 Christian hostages are languishing inside Rijana Forest, near a Nigerian Army Base and others in Kachia county,” Intersociety researchers stated, decrying the apparent inaction of Nigerian authorities. They noted that Kaduna State likely recorded the highest number of kidnapped Christians in Nigeria between December 2, 2024, and September 28, 2025, with over 1,100 cases.
Survivors Recount Brutal Conditions
Among the survivors are 32-year-old Esther Emmanuel and her 10-month-old daughter, Anita, kidnapped from their home in Gaude village on June 4, 2025. The same night, 35-year-old farmer Maureen Mica was also abducted. Both women were held in a smaller camp named “Sanda” after its commander.
Maureen described the forest hideout to TruthNigeria, stating, “I saw many big camps, about five, but there could be more. Each held over 50 hostages. There were also smaller camps with about 30 people each—more than 10 of those.” She recounted the harsh conditions, including surviving on cornmeal without soup and enduring regular beatings. “We sometimes went seven days without food,” she said.
Esther shared similarly harrowing experiences, noting that hostages were forbidden from speaking, making eye contact, or praying Christian prayers. “When my baby cried, I tried to breastfeed her,” she told TruthNigeria. “One terrorist snatched her from me and covered her mouth and nose, choking her. I had to wrestle her back.” She added that prayer was their only solace, but the jihadists executed two hostages in their camp for unpaid ransoms, with more frequent killings in larger camps. “Anytime we heard gunfire, we knew someone had been killed,” she said. “Four bursts usually meant two people had been executed.”
Military Inaction and Eroding Public Trust
Intersociety researchers criticized the Nigerian military’s failure to intervene, pointing to a decline in public trust since June 2015, when the military was known for “neutrality, secularity, and semi-professionalism.” They estimate that public confidence in the military has plummeted from 45% to less than 20%, particularly among minority ethnic and religious groups in northern Nigeria. The researchers accused the military of engaging in “negotiations and pacifications” with jihadist bandits, complicating efforts to address attacks on Christians.
They also highlighted the disparity in weapon access, noting that while jihadists freely brandish firearms, Christians are prohibited from possessing weapons for self-defense.
International Outcry
The plight of Nigeria’s Christians has slowly started to draw international attention. On September 26, 2025, U.S. political satirist Bill Maher addressed the crisis on his HBO show, Real Time with Bill Maher. “I’m not a Christian, but they are systematically killing the Christians in Nigeria,” Maher said, citing over 100,000 deaths and 18,000 burned churches since 2009, largely attributed to violent Islamist groups like Boko Haram. “This is so much more of a genocide attempt than what is going on in Gaza,” he added, questioning the lack of global protests over the violence.
Intersociety researchers urged the Nigerian military to restore its reputation and take decisive action to free the hostages. “The victims must be freed,” they stated, emphasizing the need for accountability and protection for Nigeria’s Christian communities.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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