What the World Must Know
By Celphas Iyorhen
The truth about Northern Nigeria is uncomfortable, and that is exactly why it is constantly denied. Christians are being deliberately targeted, humiliated, kidnapped, displaced, and killed, yet the same society that looks away turns around to lecture survivors about patriotism. This hypocrisy is not accidental. It is sustained by lies, propaganda, and a deliberate refusal to name ideology for what it is.
In the wake of the systematic targeting and annihilation of Christian faithful in Northern Nigeria, we have lost respected clergy who suffered in silence and died violently. These were not fighters. They were not criminals. They were pastors.
“Christians are being deliberately targeted, humiliated, kidnapped, displaced, and killed, yet the same society that looks away turns around to lecture survivors about patriotism.” – Iyorhen
In January 2020, Rev. Lawan Andimi of ECWA, the Chairman of CAN in Michika Local Government Area of Adamawa State, was kidnapped by ISWAP. After weeks of captivity and failed ransom efforts by his family and church, he was executed. His only crime was that he was a Christian leader in a territory where Christians are hunted.
In January 2018, Rev. Yohanna Bako of ECWA Kaduna was kidnapped along the Kaduna–Abuja highway, a road that had already become notorious for selective abductions. After months of negotiations, he was killed in captivity. No rescue. No accountability. Life simply moved on.
In Plateau State, Rev. Yakubu Pam Dug of COCIN was attacked and killed in his own home. In Southern Borno, Rev. Bitrus Galadima of ECWA was murdered during Boko Haram attacks on Christian communities. Churches were burnt, villages emptied, and silence followed.
In Kaduna State, Rev. Markus Yashi, a Baptist pastor, was killed during post-election religious violence. Elections ended. His life did not return. These men did not steal cattle. They did not invade land. They did not provoke war. Their only offence was being Christians in the wrong part of Nigeria.
Many others are still alive, but survival does not mean safety. Rev. Joseph John Hayab of the Baptist Church in Kaduna State has endured repeated threats and attacks because he refuses to keep quiet. Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo of COCIN in Plateau State has watched churches under his oversight attacked and entire congregations displaced. Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam of ECWA Kaduna has survived assassination attempts, constant threats, and forced relocation because he speaks openly. Rev. Suleiman Ibrahim, a Pentecostal pastor in Niger State, was arrested, tortured, and later released without conviction. Rev. Luka Bawa of ECWA Zamfara was arrested and detained under the excuse of investigations following village attacks.
These cases are not exceptions. They are patterns. Yet, in the middle of this bloodshed, Nigerians who live far away from the killing fields, together with the killers, suddenly rediscover patriotism.
Survivors of genocide are insulted for welcoming the alleged arrival of the United States military support in Nigeria. They are told they lack patriotism. Patriotism, my foot! Does a dead man know patriotism? Does a widow recite the national anthem to survive grief? Do orphans in IDP camps eat patriotism for breakfast?
“Survivors of genocide are insulted for welcoming the alleged arrival of the United States military support in Nigeria.” – Iyorhen
Those who kill Christians in Northern Nigeria do not stop at murder. They follow it up with propaganda. Sometimes they claim it is revenge for stolen Fulani cattle. Sometimes they call it communal clashes over land. All lies.
How logical is it that people from a religion without commandments keep accusing people from a religion that clearly teaches “thou shalt not steal” of stealing? How logical is it that violence flows consistently in one direction, with Christian villages destroyed, churches burnt, and pastors hunted?
There is no genuine communal land crisis in Northern Nigeria, the land here is vast and empty. The landmass of Southern Kaduna, Niger State, and Nasarawa State alone exposes the lie. The people of Northern Nigeria have not reproduced enough to exhaust land. What is happening is not competition over land. It is ideological hatred. It is religious and ethnic domination dressed up as conflict.
“Those killing Christians are not wearing white skin. They are not speaking English. They do not have American accents. They are locals. Known. Protected. Excused.” – Iyorhen
To crown the insult, one opportunist, who terrorism made a public figure, who was denied entry into Saudi Arabia, had the audacity to claim that the United States of America created and sustains terrorism in Nigeria and is now pretending to fight it. Who is he trying to brainwash? Even if that claim were true, a simple question remains unanswered. Why do local actors willingly present themselves as killers of Christians? Why do they volunteer for murder? Those killing Christians are not wearing white skin. They are not speaking English. They do not have American accents. They are locals. Known. Protected. Excused.
This is why many victims and survivors openly welcome American military involvement in Nigeria. Not because they hate Nigeria, but because Nigeria has failed them. When the state refuses to protect life, people will look elsewhere. That is not betrayal. That is survival.
We welcome and celebrate any force willing to confront terrorism honestly. If you need our support, we are here. Kill the terrorists. End the ideology. If the mineral resources they claimed you are coming for are useful to you, take it all. We want to be alive like northern Muslims. If the system itself has become useless, do not expect loyalty from the dead.
“When the state refuses to protect life, people will look elsewhere. That is not betrayal. That is survival.” – Iyorhen
The world must understand this clearly. What is happening in Northern Nigeria is not random violence. It is selective, ideological, and sustained persecution. Until Nigeria stops lying to itself, no amount of fake patriotism will silence the blood already crying from the ground.
Editor’s Note: Mr. Iyorhen, a public speaker, educational resource person, and writer, describes himself as “A Concerned Citizen from the Middle Belt.” His views do not necessarily reflect the position of Advocatus Africa.
