Boko Haram insurgency begins
Boko Haram launches its insurgency in Nigeria's northeast, the start of a jihadist campaign that would go on to target Christian communities directly.
Christians in Nigeria: Under Siege
Christians in Nigeria's Middle Belt and northeast face targeted killings, kidnappings and even enslavement for their faith.
22,835
Christians killed between October 2019 and September 2025
2,550
Christians killed between January and June 2026
1.3 million
People displaced by violence
Nigeria's Middle Belt – where a Christian is killed every two hours.
This fertile land is where the mostly Muslim north meets the largely Christian south.
Since 2016, militias from the Muslim Fulani ethnic group have been systematically attacking Christian villages there, occupying the land and displacing millions.
The Nigerian state appears unable or unwilling to stop the violence.
We must stop the killings!
Christian Solidarity International's "Under Siege" campaign carries the stories of the Middle Belt Christians, the villages, the survivors and the dead, so that a crisis kept quiet for too long no longer goes unheard.
History of Christian Persecution in Nigeria
From the rise of Boko Haram to escalating Fulani militia attacks, Nigeria's Christians have faced sustained violence and displacement for close to two decades.
Fulani militia attacks escalate
Islamist-inspired Fulani militias begin systematically attacking Christian communities in central and southern Nigeria.
Chibok schoolgirls abducted
276 mostly Christian girls are abducted from a school in northeastern Nigeria by Boko Haram. Many are still missing.
CSI begins advocacy
CSI begins advocacy on behalf of Middle Belt Christians, issuing a Genocide Warning one year later.
Deborah Yakubu lynched
Christian student Deborah Yakubu is publicly lynched in the northwestern state of Sokoto after being accused of blasphemy by Muslim fellow students.
Rhoda Jatau jailed for blasphemy
Christian health worker Rhoda Jatau is accused of blasphemy and jailed. She is finally acquitted in December 2024.
U.S. strikes jihadists in Nigeria
At Christmas, the U.S. launches missile strikes on jihadists in Nigeria's northwest.
U.S. withdraws troops from Nigeria
President Trump orders U.S. troops withdrawn from Nigeria, claiming the widespread killing of Christians is over.
Driven from their homes, killed for their faith
Since 2019 CSI has been advocating on behalf of Nigeria's Christians amid escalating violence by Islamist groups, including Boko Haram, Islamic State and Fulani militias.
In 2020, we issued a Genocide Warning for Christians in the Middle Belt in response to the rising tide of Islamist violence. The situation has only worsened over the past years.
Fulani militants carry out regular attacks on Christian and moderate Muslim communities, killing, kidnapping and displacing families. Millions have been displaced.
CSI combines direct humanitarian aid for displaced Christians with sustained international advocacy for the persecuted.
In June 2026, a team from Christian Solidarity International visited the Middle Belt to meet with survivors of attacks and hear their stories. You can watch videos and read accounts of that trip along with survivors' testimony below.
Inside the Middle Belt
In June 2026, a CSI team traveled through Nigeria's Middle Belt to meet survivors of attacks and record their testimony.
Stories from the Middle Belt
First-hand accounts and reports from the conflict zone.
Under Siege: Why we're telling the story of Christians in Nigeria's Middle Belt
In June 2026, a CSI team spent two weeks in Plateau State, meeting survivors, civil society activists, journalists and lawyers. Under Siege draws on what they witnessed there.
Read the article
Confronting the suffering in Plateau State: a first-hand account
CSI documents the aftermath of an attack in Plateau State that killed twenty-two people in a single night, leaving traumatized survivors in urgent need of support.
Read her story
Nigeria: Pregnant woman flees Fulani militia attack; loses five family members
A pregnant Christian woman escaped a Fulani militia attack that killed her husband and four relatives, and now cares for eight orphaned siblings amid ongoing violence in the Middle Belt.
Read her storyHelp CSI reach families under siege
Your gift funds food, medical care and shelter for Christian families displaced by Fulani militia attacks in the Middle Belt.
Videos and testimonies in defense of persecuted Christians in Nigeria
Coming soon
Coming soon
How CSI Helps People in Need
Food & medical care
Food distribution and medical care for internally displaced people in the northeast and Middle Belt.
Financial start-up support
Start-up assistance helping displaced families rebuild a livelihood after losing everything.
Scholarships for children
Educational scholarships and material support for children who lost a parent or guardian to violence.
Advocacy & documentation
International advocacy and documentation of attacks, engaging governments and the UN on behalf of the persecuted.
The CSI Fellowship Program for Journalism in Nigeria
Christian Solidarity International has launched a fellowship program to incentivize human rights journalists to report on the crimes being committed in the Middle Belt today. Every week, we publish more stories from the frontlines of persecution.
Articles by Nigerian journalists
Nigeria: Christian terror attack survivors have sheltered an elderly Muslim for 16 years
In Dogo Nahawa, Plateau State, Christian survivors of a 2010 massacre that killed more than 500 people have spent 16 years caring for the village's only Muslim resident.
Read the article
Church in Nigeria is 'thriving' but bleeding, report finds
A new report finds Nigeria's church is simultaneously thriving and suffering sustained violence, with an average of 11 Christians killed daily between 2020 and 2023.
Read the article
Nigeria: CSI launches media fellowship to raise awareness of mass atrocities
CSI's six-month media fellowship helps close the gap in reporting on sectarian attacks in Nigeria's Middle Belt, where most outsiders know only a fraction of the killings and abductions.
Read the articleYou may reuse this content as long as you credit Christian Solidarity International and link back to this website.
Stand with Nigeria's Persecuted Christians
Pray for those affected by violence, stay informed about CSI's work, or give to help us continue supporting vulnerable communities.
Pray
Pray for peace, protection and strength for families and communities affected by the violence.
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About Christian Solidarity International
Christian Solidarity International defends religious liberty and human dignity through public advocacy and humanitarian action, guided by Christian values.
The Christian in our name is not for nothing. Following our spiritual calling to support the suffering Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12) and to come to the aid of our neighbor (Luke 10), we provide vital aid to victims, advocate for the marginalized, and expose systems of persecution. Since 1977, we have been supporting the oppressed and standing for religious freedom and human dignity for all.
CSI is an NGO with consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
Christian Solidarity International was founded in Switzerland in 1977 by Rev. Hans Stückelberger. We are active in more than 20 countries with public advocacy initiatives and humanitarian aid projects.
Questions about CSI's work in Nigeria
What is happening in Nigeria?
For nearly 20 years, Nigeria has witnessed extreme violence against Christian communities by jihadist groups including Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Fulani militias. Tens of thousands of Christians have been killed, millions displaced, and hundreds of villages abandoned following attacks.
CSI posts regular updates on the violence on its website. Articles written between 2019 and February 2023 can be found on the archived CSI Nigeria Report website.
For our ongoing coverage of the situation in Nigeria, you can find all of CSI's articles and reports on Nigeria here.
Are Christians in Nigeria targeted by the violence?
Yes. While Nigerians of all faiths are victims of insecurity, jihadist groups and Fulani militias target Christians on account of their faith. Boko Haram has explicitly declared a jihad against Christians.
Fulani militia groups seek to conquer the Middle Belt by displacing the Christians, whom they consider kuffar, or unbelievers.
How does CSI advocate for Nigeria?
CSI advocates for Nigeria on the global stage, at the United Nations, European Parliament, UK Parliament, U.S. Congress, and other high-visibility venues. CSI has taken up the case of persecuted individual Christians, including Rhoda Jatau, who was accused of blasphemy and spent 19 months in prison.
Where is CSI working in Nigeria?
CSI is active in the northeast (Borno) and in the Middle Belt (Southern Kaduna, Plateau), focusing on helping victims of violence and the displaced.
What assistance does CSI provide?
We distribute food and medical care to internally displaced persons (IDPs). We also provide financial assistance to the victims of violence, as well as scholarships and educational materials for their children.
CSI also provides legal support to victims of false blasphemy charges and religious persecution, as well as to families whose loved ones have been abducted.
How can I help people in Nigeria?
You can support CSI's humanitarian response financially, share information about the crisis and pray for people affected by the conflict.
If you can, please donate to CSI's Nigeria campaign.