July 22, 2025
Leaders from the Center for Global Religious Freedom at Dallas Baptist University, Texas Baptists’ Christian Life Commission, and the Baptist World Alliance are calling for prayer for Nigeria. They urge churches to dedicate time during worship services on Sunday, July 27, or a nearby date, to pray for victims of persecution in Nigeria.
Concerned Christians are also encouraged to sign an online letter addressed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging the U.S. Department of State to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC). This designation is reserved for nations that permit or commit ongoing, systemic, and egregious violations of religious freedom. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom 2025 Nigeria Country Update states that religious communities in Nigeria are facing ongoing, systematic, and egregious violations of their ability to practice their faith freely.
21Wilberforce recently spoke with Gideon Para-Mallam, Nigerian minister and founder of the Para-Mallam Peace Foundation, who believes we can no longer wait for governments to end the cycle of violence in our communities. Each of us has a role to play. Para-Mallam warns of systematic and sustained persecution against Christians in Nigeria, with far-reaching implications.
Although Nigeria is not officially at war, what is happening to Christians—especially in rural areas—amounts to a silent war. Christians are being killed, driven from their ancestral lands, and their homes burned. Many are now internally displaced or have fled to neighboring countries like Cameroon, Niger, and Chad. Others live in captivity or have fallen into slavery.
Persecution also takes less visible but equally damaging forms:
- Christian students are denied places to pray, study the Bible, and worship.
- Churches are refused legal recognition for land already in use.
- Young Christian girls are abducted and forced into marriage.
At the same time, the Nigerian government spreads misleading narratives to both its citizens and the international community—obscuring the truth behind the violence. This disinformation makes it urgent to share accurate and coherent accounts of what’s happening. The future of Christianity in Nigeria—and across Africa—depends on it.
Para-Mallam also highlights a deeper challenge: discouragement within the Christian community itself. “The discouragement is not even coming from the persecution, per se,” he says. “It’s coming from leaders who should be working together to craft a biblical response. That’s not happening.”
Another critical issue is the uprooting of Christians from their ancestral farmlands—a strategy that strips them of resources and stability. “For decades now, persecution has taken the form of displacing Christians from their homelands,” he says. “It’s not just about burning homes or destroying farms. It’s the fact that people have nowhere to go. That humanitarian vacuum is deeply discouraging.”
Para-Mallam issues a clear call: “We must not be silent. We must not allow their blood to cry out unheard.”
Elijah Brown, General Secretary and CEO of the Baptist World Alliance, spoke about the dire situation in Nigeria with Rev. Dr. Israel Adelani Akanji, President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, during the recent Baptist World Congress in Brisbane, Australia. This video interview has been provided courtesy of the Baptist Standard.