Catholic Church steps up pressure on Nigerian government over rising violence

Over the past days several Catholic organisations and dioceses have issued calls for the government to deploy more military and police personnel to stem the bloodshed and criminality that holds sway over large parts of the country.

The Catholic Church in northern Nigeria has intensified its public pressure on the government in recent days following a new wave of attacks in the country’s north and central regions that have left hundreds dead and many more abducted.

On 3 February, over 160 people were massacred in Woro, Kwara State, in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.  According to media reports, the victims were overwhelmingly Muslim, killed by jihadist militants because they had refused to embrace their extremist version of Islam. This follows on the heels of several other violent incidents in the first weeks of 2026.

In separate statements, the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, several ecclesiastical provinces in the North, and the Diocese of Kontagora have called for an immediate reinforcement of security forces and the establishment of new military bases in the worst-affected areas.

The Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN), which is the administrative and executive arm of the Nigerian Catholic Bishops Conference, published a statement on 7 February decrying the “relentless wave of killings and abductions that continue to plague our nation”.

“A massacre allowed by silence”

“The recurring carnage has become a stain on the conscience of our nation. How can it be justified that, outside of war, over 160 innocent civilians were slaughtered in one coordinated attack in Woro, Kwara State? How do we explain the repeated killings and abductions in Agwara and Tungan Gero in Niger State, the wiping out of entire farming communities in Katsina and Kaduna, and the ongoing violence in Borno? This is not ‘instability’ but a massacre allowed by silence and a betrayal of every Nigerian’s right to live in peace,” says the document, which was sent to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

The CSN makes several demands of the Government, notably to “intensify efforts in redeploying security forces (…) to the actual frontlines where citizens are under siege” and to “identify, expose, and prosecute the sponsors and enablers of terror, regardless of their political, religious or social status”.

The document further demands that the authorities “arrest and punish every perpetrator of violence” and “provide urgent relief, psychosocial care, and compensation to victims and their families, while guarding and rebuilding destroyed communities to restore hope and dignity to the indigenes of the land”.

Finally, the CSN urges “every Nigerian to reject hatred and violence, and to stand firm in solidarity with one another”.

Farmlands as places of danger

The ecclesiastical provinces of Kaduna, Abuja and Jos, which include over 20 dioceses in northern Nigeria, also issued a joint appeal over the past few days, stating that “the persistent incidents of kidnapping for ransom, killings of innocent citizens, invasion and occupation of farming communities, and widespread displacement have created fear, trauma, and deep uncertainty among our people. Farmlands meant to sustain life have increasingly become places of danger, forcing many farmers to abandon their means of livelihood and thereby worsening hunger and poverty.”

“A society cannot flourish where human life is continually threatened. We therefore call on all tiers of government and security agencies to intensify efforts towards the protection of lives and property, for peace can only endure where justice is upheld,” they write.

The document, sent to ACN, recalls the continued abduction of Fr Emanuel Ezema from the diocese of Zaria but was published before the abduction of Fr Nathaniel Asuwaye of the Diocese of Kafanchan over the past weekend. According to the last information the charity has received Fr Ezema was kidnapped along with eight lay people during an attack that caused the death of at least three others. 

According to media reports, other major security incidents in 2026 include an attack in the village of Kasuwan-Daji, located in Niger State, which caused the death of around 30 people, with many others kidnapped. The “armed bandits”, as they are described by the authorities, also desecrated a nearby Catholic compound.

Bishop Bulus Yohanna of Kontagora, whose diocese covers a substantial part of Niger state, has also issued his own appeal to the government, asking for it to install a military base in the region to promote security. In his diocese 320 people were kidnapped from a Catholic school in Papiri, in November 2025.

In his statement he calls for “a fully equipped military base (…) capable of pursuing and neutralising armed groups whenever they emerge from their hideouts” and for the government to “deploy adequate security personnel, provide necessary resources, and work with local stakeholders to restore peace”.

In the same statement, also sent to ACN, the bishop also thanks the government for the cooperation which resulted in the safe release and return home of all the children and staff kidnapped from St Mary’s School in Papiri, while the Governor of Kaduna State has said that 183 Christians, kidnapped in three different incidents over the past weeks, have all been released or rescued as well.

The levels of violence in Nigeria led Pope Leo XIV to issue a condemnation of the violence during his weekly Angelus prayer, in Rome. “It is with sorrow and concern that I learned of the recent attacks against various communities in Nigeria leading to a heavy loss of life. I express my prayerful closeness to all the victims of violence and terrorism. I likewise hope that the competent Authorities will continue to work with determination to ensure the safety and protection of the life of every citizen,” he said.

Aid to the Church in Need has long considered Nigeria a priority country, and runs several projects to support the local Church, especially in the north. The charity calls on all its friends and benefactors to continue to pray for Nigeria to experience peace and justice that have been so sorely lacking over the past years.