As Christmas approaches, Nigerian Christians are once again bracing for violence rather than celebration. Despite President Trump designating Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern” and signaling possible sanctions over religious freedom abuses, jihadist attacks continue unabated. History weighs heavily on believers’ minds: Christmas Day 2024 saw coordinated massacres in Benue State, while Christmas 2023 brought the slaughter of hundreds of Christians in Plateau State. Similar attacks stretch back years, with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day repeatedly chosen as moments of terror. For many on the ground, the pattern is unmistakable—these assaults are not random, but deliberately timed to inflict maximum fear and devastation during the holiest days of the Christian calendar.

Local Christians warn that intelligence reports now point to renewed plans by Islamic Fulani jihadists for Christmas 2025, including kidnappings of travelers and attacks on villages during church services. Believers are being advised to limit travel, end church gatherings before nightfall, and even wear footwear suitable for fleeing through rough terrain. Yet these precautions underscore a tragic reality: ordinary Christians are defenseless while attackers operate with impunity. As evangelist Justice G. Danjuma noted, entire communities remain traumatized, facing “sleepless nights as Christmas approaches.” The Nigerian government’s repeated failure to protect its citizens has left many convinced it is either unwilling or complicit—another sobering reminder that persecution of the Church is intensifying, just as Scripture warned would happen in the last days.

SOURCE: ICC