On the evening of Fri., June 13, in Nigeria’s Benue State, militants set fire to buildings where Christians were sleeping and then opened fire on those trying to escape, reportedly shouting “God is great” as they advanced. Survivors describe people being burned alive, shot or hacked with machetes in what church leaders have called the “worst killing spree” the region has seen so far, according to Fox News. No matter what religious beliefs one possesses, nobody deserves to be persecuted for their faith.

Conflict in Nigeria dates all the way back to the 1900s, when herding communities and farmers quarreled about crop cultivation and land, usually when resources were scarce. More recently, aspects like climate change and population growth have intensified the conflict.

However, this small conflict between farmers has turned into a severe split of faith, morals and religion right down the heart and center of Nigeria. In the central Middle Belt states, heavily armed radical Muslim Fulani herders — a predominantly Muslim ethnic group distinct from Boko Haram that is inciting religious violence — are sweeping through the fertile land of Christian farmers, setting fire to villages.

These hate crimes should not be tolerated by the Nigerian government and changes need to be made to allow for religious freedom and the liberation of Christians suffering from targeted violence.

7,000 Christians were slaughtered in Nigeria within the first 220 days of 2025, according to InterSociety. groups are targeting all people; no single, universally accepted dataset establishes that either Christians or Muslims were killed more by extremists across Nigeria in 2025.

The Nigerian government has used Sharia law — a Muslim legal system that emphasizes the teachings of the prophet Muhammad — and blasphemy laws to punish Muslims, Christians and humanists accused of insulting Islam, according to Pew Research Center. This shows how strict the enforcement of Sharia law is in Nigeria, which limits people’s ability to practice religion freely in the country.

The United Nations named Boko Haram — which translates to “Western education is forbidden” — a terrorist group. Boko Haram aims to establish an Islamic state in Nigeria by overthrowing the current government and enforcing Sharia law.

In January 2025, the group’s insurgents killed 14 people in Yobe State, including the local pastor of the Church of Christ in Nigeria, according to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). These attacks are clearly targeted toward Christian groups.

In the U.S., one of the freedoms is the freedom of religion; however, in other parts of the world, people of all races, ethnicities and religions are experiencing brutal persecution for following their religion, including Christians in this case.

Boko Haram has gone as far as kidnapping young girls from their homes and schools. Thousands of girls have been murdered over the last decade. They are either held until ransom is paid or kept as sex slaves, according to the USCIRF. This shows that Boko Haram’s activism is driven by pure hatred and not with the intent of spreading their religion, at least not peacefully.

When religious passion grows, it can be easily twisted and lead to violence. These acts are unacceptable and should not be tolerated in Nigeria or anywhere else in the world.

On Fri., Oct. 31, President Donald Trump deemed Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” according to AP News. Additionally, the Trump administration is restricting visas for Nigerians involved in violence against Christians, according to Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

On Christmas Day, the U.S. government carried out airstrikes against two Islamic state-linked camps in Nigeria’s Sokoto State to counteract the religious violence. This act, while extreme, may be necessary in order to combat the violent acts of terrorism in Nigeria.

“We welcome U.S. assistance as long as it recognises our territorial integrity,” Daniel Bwala, an adviser to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, said to Reuters.

The Nigerian government should take a more proactive, human-centered approach to addressing Boko Haram’s violence, terminating religious hate crimes and implementing stronger troops, laws and awareness. This approach also includes eliminating Sharia law from their government structure, as Sharia law favors Islam and does not allow for religious freedom in the country.

Unfortunately, the Nigerian government has done seemingly little to stop the religious persecution and terroristic activity occurring there.

“The government must show evidence that justice is being done when churches or mosques are attacked,” Former Nigerian Ambassador Dr. Yemi Farounbi said. “If not, it will appear to the international community that Nigeria is aiding Christian genocide. This perception can hurt our access to international support and military cooperation.”

This religious persecution cannot be swept under the rug; the Nigerian government must take action and provide religious security to everyone, as it is undeniable that these recent attacks were religiously motivated. Citizens of Nigeria look forward to seeing the liberation of Christians and Muslims in the near future, both in Nigeria and the rest of the world — liberation that needs to start now.