Catholic bishops in Nigeria decry “genocide” against Christians, allege security collusion; Trump threatens aid cuts over killings and abductions.
Newsroom (26/11/2025 Gaudium Press ) Nigeria’s Catholic bishops on Tuesday delivered a blistering denunciation of the federal government, accusing security forces of possible collusion in what they described as the systematic “decimation” of Christian communities in the north and Middle Belt regions.
In a communiqué issued after their plenary in Abuja, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) warned that repeated attacks by armed Fulani militias and Islamist-linked groups have reached intolerable levels, resulting in “heavy casualties and the tragic loss of many Christian lives.” The prelates singled out “disturbing reports of delayed or withheld security responses,” saying the pattern fuels credible allegations of genocide.
“Such unbearable conditions have given credence to allegations of ‘genocide’ in some quarters,” the bishops wrote, while acknowledging that Muslims and other ethnic groups have also fallen victim to the same violence.
The statement comes amid a fresh wave of mass abductions. Last week, gunmen kidnapped 24 schoolgirls from a boarding school in Kebbi State, northwestern Nigeria; one school official was killed while attempting to block the attackers. The girls were released Tuesday, according to the state government. The incident triggered copycat kidnappings in neighboring Kwara and Niger states, including the seizure of more than 300 students from a private Catholic school earlier this week.
President Bola Tinubu welcomed the Kebbi students’ release but faced immediate pressure to do more. “Now we must put, as a matter of urgency, more boots on the ground in the vulnerable areas,” he said in a statement.
The bishops’ broadside dovetailed with mounting criticism from the incoming Trump administration in Washington. President Trump, who redesignated Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” for religious freedom violations in late October, has publicly excoriated Abuja’s response.
“I’m really angry about it,” Trump told Fox News Radio last Friday. “What’s happening in Nigeria is a disgrace.” Last week, incoming Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu that U.S. aid could be slashed if the killings and abductions continue.
Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a longtime advocate on Nigerian religious violence, praised Trump’s pressure, saying previous U.S. administrations had enabled a “culture of denial” that allowed attacks to proceed with impunity.
The debate over motive remains fierce. The Trump administration and many Christian advocacy groups insist the violence constitutes targeted persecution of Christians by Islamist extremists and Fulani herdsmen. The Vatican and some analysts counter that while religious identity plays a role, the primary drivers are ethnic land disputes, criminal banditry, and ransom-seeking — noting that Christians often pay higher ransoms when clergy mobilize collections.
Regardless of framing, Nigeria continues to lead the world in anti-Christian violence. Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List ranks it among the deadliest places for Christians globally.
With President Tinubu — a Muslim whose wife is a prominent Pentecostal pastor — facing reelection in 2027, the escalating crisis presents both a security and political test. Observers say his administration has shown more willingness to confront the violence than his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari, yet the pace of killings and kidnappings has not appreciably slowed.
As diplomatic pressure mounts and another school year begins under the shadow of abduction threats, Nigeria’s Catholic leadership has made clear it no longer trusts promises alone.
“We cannot continue to watch in silence while our people are slaughtered,” the bishops concluded. “The government must act decisively — or bear responsibility for the consequences.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from RCP
Related Images:
