In Nigeria’s northeast, Bishop John Bakeni says Christians live “under a cloud of uncertainty” yet remain faithful amid Boko Haram and Fulani violence.
Newsroom (11/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) In a voice steady but heavy with 16 years of loss, Bishop John Bogna Bakeni of Maiduguri told OSV News that faith in northern Nigeria has become a literal matter of life and death.
“Every day is a grace,” the bishop said during a visit to Poland for the 17th Day of Solidarity with the Persecuted Church on Nov. 9. “Because we never know what will happen in the next hour.”
Speaking on the eve of Red Wednesday, the global Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) campaign that bathes landmarks in red light to remember persecuted believers, Bishop Bakeni painted a stark portrait of a diocese that has been ground zero for one of the world’s deadliest anti-Christian campaigns since Boko Haram launched its insurgency in 2009.
“Maiduguri has been global news for the wrong reasons,” he said. “We have seen the destruction of lives and livelihoods, of hospitals, schools, and churches. Millions have been displaced. The Christian community has suffered disproportionately.”
The numbers are numbing. The United Nations refugee agency estimates more than 3.5 million people have been displaced in the northeast. A chilling August 2025 report by Intersociety documented an average of 32 Christians killed every day this year alone, with at least 7,000 murdered in the first 220 days of 2025. Since 2009, the same organization says at least 125,000 Christians and 60,000 moderate Muslims have lost their lives.
Hundreds of churches lie in ruins across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states. Priests have been kidnapped and, in several cases, executed. Yet, remarkably, Nigerian Catholics continue to fill the pews that remain.
A 2023 Georgetown University study found that 94% of self-identified Nigerian Catholics attend Mass weekly or daily—one of the highest rates in the world.
“Despite the fear, despite the loss, our people still come to church,” Bishop Bakeni said. “Our faith is alive—maybe more alive than ever. Because when faith costs something, it becomes real.”
Rebuilding has begun, slowly and painfully, thanks largely to international Catholic solidarity. With support from organizations like ACN, the Diocese of Maiduguri has reconstructed some churches, rectories, and schools, and established a trauma center in the city to offer psychosocial care and vocational training.
“We have not felt alone,” the bishop said, gratitude softening his voice. “These organizations have stood with us always. And despite all the destruction, the church is coming back stronger.”
Father Jan Żelazny, director of ACN’s Polish section, told OSV News that awareness is growing in Europe but remains shockingly low.
“We talk about a church where hospitals are burned, homes destroyed, and young people cannot study because they are Christians,” he said. “These are not stories from the first centuries of Christianity—they are happening now.”
Bishop Bakeni insists the path forward requires two non-negotiables: security and justice.
“The solution lies in getting rid of the terrorists and ensuring justice,” he said. “Christians must not be discriminated against or excluded from government rebuilding programs. Once there is security, people can return to their villages and rebuild their lives.”
He welcomed the Oct. 31 announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump redesignating Nigeria a “country of particular concern” for religious freedom and threatening to suspend nonhumanitarian aid if the government fails to protect Christians.
“I believe such attention can make a difference,” Bishop Bakeni said cautiously. “For too long, leaders have not shown enough resolve to deal with the killings. If the global community now holds Nigerian leaders accountable, that is a plus.”
He was quick, however, to reject any notion of foreign military intervention.
“Nigeria is a sovereign nation,” he stressed. “Sending foreign troops is not the answer. What we need is help to identify and disarm the terrorists, to bring justice and peace.”
As Red Wednesday approaches on Nov. 19, when the Colosseum in Rome and other landmarks will glow blood-red in remembrance, Bishop Bakeni offered the world what he called the only gift his battered flock still possesses.
“Our faith is tested, our faith is proven,” he said. “And I think this is the only gift we have for the world today—the gift of our faith.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from OSV news
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