Nigeria at the Crossroads

COUNTRY REPORT

Nigeria at the crossroads

INDEX 1. General overview

1.1. Short contemporary history timeline 1.2. Political situation 1.3. The North-South Axis 2. Religion 2.1 Religious Freedom 2.2. Sharia Law 2.3. Catholic Church in Nigeria 2.4. Discrimination of Christians in North Nigeria 3. Overview of recent conflicts 3.1 Militant Islamists 3.2 Violence related to armed bandits and crime 3.3 Conflict between farmers and herders 3.4. Communal and ethnic clashes 3.5 Biafra separatists 3.6 Niger Delta Militants 3.7 Cultism and Ritual killings 4. IDPs in Nigeria 5. ACN’s help and projects 5.1. Overview of the last five years 5.2. Examples of our help

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By Maria Lozano, Press Office Director at Aid to the Church in Need, ACN International Design: Maleny Medina Collaborators: Filipe d’Avillez, Antonia Rechberg, Maria Pairetty, Carlos Rosas Unless otherwise stated, the information in this document has been compiled using information obtained during research trips and interviews with local partners over the past 6 years. © Aid to the Church in Need, 2023 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is visible acknowledged. For any use or reproduction of photos or other material that is not under the ACN copyright, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holders. Photos: ACN Archive (if not indicated otherwise)

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» Nigeria at the crossroads COUNTRY REPORT

Federal Capital Territory (FCT)

Economical Capital

Population

Political system

Area

923,768 Km 2 206 million

Abuja

Lagos

Federal presidential republic

Languages: English (official). Others: Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, Ibibio, Tiv, Birom, Ka- nuri and over 500 additional indigenous languages

Flag

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Photo: Emmanuel Ikwuegbu | Unsplash

1. General overview • Nigeria is located in western Africa and borders Benin, Came- roon, Chad, and Niger. • The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River that runs through the country.

ban areas by population were estimated in 2021 to be Lagos (14.862 million), Kano (4.103 million), Ibadan (3.649 million), Abuja (3.464 million), Port Harcourt (3.171 million) and Benin City (1.782 million). • Nigeria is estimated to have over 250 ethnic groups: Hausa 30%, Yoruba 15.5%, Igbo (Ibo) 15.2%, Fulani 6%, Tiv 2.4%, Ka- nuri/Beriberi 2.4%, Ibibio 1.8%, Ijaw/Izon 1.8%, other 24.9% (2018 est.) • President: Muhammadu Buhari (born December 1942). A re- tired Nigerian Army major general, Buhari was formerly Head of State of Nigeria from 31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985, after taking power in a military coup d’état.

• The flag: Three equal vertical bands of green, white, and green; the color green represents the forests and natural wealth of the country, white symbolizes peace and unity. • Ruled by the British since 1914, Nigeria attained independen- ce in 1960. The adoption of a new constitution in 1999 com- pleted a peaceful transition to civilian rule. • It is Africa’s most populous country (206 million). The highest density areas are in the south and south-west. The major ur-

1.1. Short contemporary history timeline 1861 1885 1906 1914

1960 1967-1970

1999

The British formed the Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria

British expansion in the region started with the annexa- tion of Lagos

Britain’s claims to rule the Niger Ba- sin were acknowle- dged during the Berlin Conference

The territories in the south were united to the protectorate of Northern Nigeria, giving birth to that we now know as “Nigeria”

Independence

Adoption of a new constitution in 1999 and transition to a peaceful civil system

Biafra war

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1.2. Political situation After independence, Nigeria had six coups (1966, 1967, 1975, 1983, 1985 and 1993), followed by military rule and short periods of civilian rule as a republic. Following these decades of mostly military rule, Nigeria has been enjoying the longest period of civi- lian rule in its history, having a multiparty democracy since 1999. It is a federation of 36 autonomous states and the Federal Capi- tal Territory. The executive wing of government is controlled by the All-Progressives Congress party (APC), which holds majority seats in the Senate and House of Representatives in parliament, as well in most of the States. It has a bicameral legislature comprising a 109-member Senate and a 360-member House of Representatives. Currently there are 18 registered political parties. Political parties alternate candidates for elected office on an “eth- no-regional” basis, also referred to as the Federal Quota System. The system was devised in response to fears of marginalization and ethnic domination in education and government. However, this system has a good number of critics who complain of a dis- criminatory effect. Perceived violations of these arrangements have often led to conflict. President Muhammadu Buhari will complete his second term in office on May 29th, 2023. General Elections to elect a new Presi-

dent, Federal and State Legislators and Governors are scheduled for February 2023. The two strongest candidates to succeed him are Bola Tinubu, ex-governor of Lagos, a Muslim and a member of Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) party; and Atiku Abubakar, a Mus- lim from the north, former vice president of the opposition PDP (People’s Democratic Party). Until now, the most important parties had always presented a ticket that represented the two main religions of the country. If the president was a Christian, the vice president would be a Mus- lim, and vice versa. But for the first time, the All-Progressives Con- gress presented Muslim-Muslim ticket: the presidential candida- cy of Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate Kashim Shetima, both Muslims. Many Nigerians criticized the bias and insensitivity towards the pluralistic Nigerian society. The Muslim-Muslim tic- ket is widely seen as an indicator of increasing religious discrimi- nation and marginalization in the country. In this context a third strong candidate has emerged, Peter Obi of the Labor Party, popular with young people, Christians and southerners. Elections often serve as flashpoints for violence as political office at all tiers of government yields access to oil earnings and other state resources.

Nigeria geopolitical zones

North-Central (7 states): Benue, FCT, Kogi, Kwara, Nassarawa, Niger, and Plateau North-East (6 states): Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe North-West (7 states): Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara

South-East (5 states): Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo South-South (6 states): Akwa Ibom, Ba- yelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers South-West (6 states): Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo and Lagos.

states 36

geopolitical zones

SOKOTO

ZAMFARA KATSINA

JIGAWA

BORNO

YOBE

KANO

KEBBI

KADUNA

BAUCHI

GOMBE

NIGER

ADAMAWA

KWARA

PLATEAU

FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY

NASSARAWA

OYO

TARABA

EKITI

KOGI

OSUN

BENUE

OGUN

ONDO

EDO

ENUGU

LAGOS

EBONYI

ANAMBRA IMO

CROSS RIVER

ABIA

DELTA

AKWA IBOM

RIVERS

Nigeria geopolitical zones © NIMC

BEYELSA

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NIGER

LAKE

CHAD

SOKOTO

CHAD

SOKOTO

KATSINA

KOMADUGU

ZAMFARA KATSINA

JIGAWA

BIRNIN KEBBI

BORNO

YOBE

GUSAU

KANO

MAIDUGURI

DUTSE

DAMATURU

KANO

KEBBI

TIGO DAM

KADUNA

BAUCHI

KADUNA

GOMBE

BAUCHI

KAINJ RESERVOIR

BENIN

GOMBE

NIGER

JOS

ADAMAWA

MINNA

PLATEAU NIGERIA

YOLA

ABUJA

KWARA

JALINGO

FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY

LAFIA

ILORIN

NASSARAWA

OYO

TARABA

EKITI

LOKOJA

OSHOGBO

KOGI

IBADAN

MAKURDI

ADO-EKITI

OSUN

BENUE

AKURE

ABEOKUTA

OGUN

ONDO

EDO

ENUGU

IKEJA

CAMEROUN

LAGOS

ABAKALIKI

AWKA

BENIN CITY

ENUGU

ASABA

EBONYI

ANAMBRA

BIGHT OF BENIN

CROSS RIVER

DELTA NIGER

LAKE

ABIA

CHAD

STATES OFFICIALLY INTRODU MORE THAN 20 YEA

UMUAHIA

SOKOTO

OWERRI

States with islamic law North-South Axis

CHAD

AKWA IBOM

SOKOTO

CALABAR

GULF OF GUINEA

KATSINA

RIVERS

KOMADUGU

YENAGOA

MILITANT ISLAM

UYO

BEYELSA JIGAWA

ZAMFARA KATSINA

PORT HARCOURT

BIRNIN KEBBI

BORNO

YOBE

GUSAU

BIGHT OF BIAFRA

KANO

MAIDUGURI

DUTSE

DAMATURU

KANO

KEBBI

TIGO DAM

ARMED BANDITS AND CRIMIN

KADUNA

BAUCHI

KADUNA

GOMBE

1.3. The North-South Axis Nigeria is by no means a homogeneous country. Over 250 ethnic groups and indigenous languages express the diversity and rich- ness of the country. To understand the situation in the country it is very important to speak about a prevailing international typecasting between the north and the south of the country. Some Nigerians speak from a position of “geographical ignorance” between both parts 1 . Many South Nigerians believe that there are no Christians in the North, even if states like Gombe or Kaduna have a Christian population of almost 50% and in Borno, the cradle of Boko Haram, 30% of the population is Christian. The major ethnic groups are also geographically divided: the Hausa, the Fulani and the Kanuri are dominant in the north and Yoruba, Igbo and Tiv in the south. Before the arrival of British power, north, south, west, and east had different idiosyncrasies and lived their own ethnic, political and religious realities. The first step of British expansion in the MINNA TARABA BENUE ANAMBRA KOGI ENUGU EBONYI CROSS RIVER BAUCHI GOMBE JOS LOKOJA ASABA AWKA ENUGU ABAKALIKI UMUAHIA OWERRI PORT HARCOURT UYO CALABAR MAKURDI LAFIA JALINGO YOLA ABUJA BIGHT OF BIAFRA FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY PLATEAU NASSARAWA RIVERS ABIA AKWA IBOM NIGERIA

region was the annexation of Lagos in 1861. In 1885, at the Berlin Conference, Britain claimed rights to the Niger Basin. In 1906 the British amalgamated the Lagos Colony and Protectorate with the Protectorate of Southern Nigeria to form the new Colony and Protectorate of Southern Nigeria. In 1914 these territories in the south were united with the protectorate of Northern Nigeria, giving birth to the geo-political unit that we now know as Nigeria. However, the territories maintained their regional authorities, divided after 1914 into three local units. The announcement of their dissolution by the military government after the first coup in 1966 triggered violent reactions in the north against southerners who had settled among them. This was one of the factors that contributed to the outbreak of the civil war. The antagonism between the north and the south suffered a se- rious resurgence during the restoration of Sharia in 12 of the 20 northern states in 2000 and has increased in recent years, fueled by the conflicts described in chapter 3 of this report. It should be mentioned that “north” and “south” do not always match the perception that an observer would see on a map.

NORESTE HAUSA – F

NIGER

ADAMAWA

NOROESTE KANU

KWARA

CENTRO OESTE JU

ILORIN

CAMEROUN

SUR OESTE TIV

EKITI

OSHOGBO

ADO-EKITI

OSUN

AKURE

CENTRO SUR IGB

ONDO

EDO

BENIN CITY

SURESTE YORU

DELTA

FRONTERA

YENAGOA

BEYELSA

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Considering the division into states from the political and admi- nistrative angle, Adawama or Taraba are two states of the Nor- th-East Region, even if to an observer they would be clearly in the center. Also, Abuja, the capital, is consider part of the north of the country. Perhaps due to this mismatch with reality, there is a very impor- tant geographical term often used by the media: Nigeria’s Middle Belt, which refers to the area that bisects the country from east to west, along the center, forming a transition zone between nor- thern and southern Nigeria. It includes most of the North-Cen- tral Region and the southern half of the North-Eastern Region. Characterized by a large mix of ethnicities – 50 to 100 separate languages and ethnic groups – it is a meeting point between two worlds and the scene of frequent incidents in our days.

130 million Nigerians live below the poverty line. The south is richer, has more universities, and is better educated. The south also includes the oil reservoir and the financial capital, Lagos. The political center is in the north, where 46% of the population lives, while 53% live in the south. Population density is higher in the south, though the surface is smaller. Southerners often complain about resource distribution, which is subjected to centralization by the central power. Some places, like Delta State, are far less developed, even though they have oil reservoirs. Figures and numbers of both religious and ethnic groups have often been manipulated for propaganda, as well as political and power conflicts.

Average annual income per person in $

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Algeria

Kuwait

Libya

Egypt

Saudi Arabia

Niger

Mali

Sudan

Chad

Dji

Nigeria

Eritrea

Ethiopia

na Faso

Somalia

Cameroon

Democratic Republic of Congo

Tanzania 2. Religion Christians make up around 46.2% of the population. Roman Catholicism is practiced by 12.4% (other sources speak of 14%) and other Christian beliefs by 33.8%. Islam is the religion of 45.8% of Nigerians. Most of them adhere to the Sunni branch of Islam. The remaining population (7%) holds traditional religious beliefs. Christianity is the majority religion in the south, and Islam in the north.

Comoros

2.1 Religious Freedom 3 Nigeria guarantees religious freedom. Under Article 15 of the Ni- gerian Constitution, no person may be discriminated against on grounds of his or her religious affiliation. Article 10 stipulates that neither Nigeria as a Federal Republic, nor any of its individual sta- tes, may adopt a state religion. Beyond this, Article 38 (I) of the Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of thought and religion, including the right to freely practice one’s faith, propagate it through religious instruction, and convert to another faith. Article 38 (II) says that no one may be compelled to participate in religious instruction against his or her will if the instruction is not in accordance with that person’s faith. This guarantee also extends to religious observances. In the effort to promote social inclusion, Article 15 (3, c and d) of the Constitution places the state under an obligation to foster in- ter-religious marriages and to promote the establishment of as- sociations and groups for members of different religions. Article 222 (e) also prohibits political parties from identifying with any particular religion or region. Nigeria has a mixed legal system with four separate sources, na- mely English law, common law, customary law, and, in a num- ber of states, Islamic law (Sharia). Pursuant to Article 275 of the Nigerian Constitution, states are entitled to empanel a Sharia Court of Appeal.

2.2. Sharia Law Sharia is Islamic canonical law, based on the teachings of the Koran and the traditions of Mohammed (Hadith and Sunna), prescribing both religious and secular duties and sometimes retributive penalties for lawbreaking. Sharia Law is a system of duties and obligations that rule all fa- cets of Muslim life, and includes personal and public behavior, the observance of religious life, but also family and business issues. Islamic laws are based on Sharia interpretations. Islamic law emerged in Nigeria toward the beginning of the 19th century and remained applicable until the arrival of the British Colonial regime in Northern Nigeria in 1903. The British regime abolished Sharia. In October 1999 Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State, readopted Sharia-based legal codes which operate in parallel with secular courts. Prior to that, Sharia law in northern Nigeria was limited to civil matters and excluded criminal matters. By the end of 2001, 11 other states had joined Zamfara and re-introduced ‘full’ Sharia. Many of these Sharia laws include heavy penalties for blasphemy, including death. In Kaduna and Niger, which are included in the 12 states, Sharia does not apply to the whole state. African nations with Islamic law rarely use this as a basis for

Mozambique

Persecution, hate crimes and religiously-motivated violence.

Discrimination, hate crimes and religiously-motivated violence.

Improved since 2018

Worsened since 2018

No change since 2018

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their criminal code. But Nigerian Sharia courts do, even if se- rious punishments such as amputations and stoning to dea- th are rarely imposed — and where they were imposed, have not being executed. Until January 2022, only one person, Sani Yakubu Rodi (Katsina State), has been executed since 12 Mus- lim-majority states embraced Sharia law. In 2020 an Islamic court in Nigeria’s Kano State sentenced Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a musician, to death for making a blasphemous statement against Muhammad, but in 2021 a retrial was ordered 4 . Last year the horrific murder of Deborah Yakubo, a Christian student at the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, northern Nigeria, accused of blasphemy by fellow students, brought the discussion back to the fore. This act of violence did not even respect the norms for Islamic law and was simply a case of lynching and summary execution, but it reaffirms the fear of Christians in the north of radicalization of some Muslims. According to ACN’s most recent Religious Freedom Report, Sharia law has deepened divisions in the country. When 12 states introduced Islamic law years ago, many Muslims reac- ted with enthusiasm, while Christians protested the decision. Ensuing riots claimed several thousand lives – of Christians as well as Muslims. Fr Atta Barkindo, director of the renowned Catholic Kukah Centre promoting interfaith dialogue, states: “What Sharia law has done is to divide us more in this country.

You go to communities; people have withdrawn into the womb of their religions”. According to Fr Barkindo it is urgent for Nige- rians to discuss what their country should actually look like as a secular state, how it can define itself as a nation, and how Christians and Muslims can live together 5 .

12 states officially introduced Islamic law between 1999 and 2001:

NIGER

LAKE

CHAD

SOKOTO

CHAD

SOKOTO

KATSINA

KOMADUGU

ZAMFARA KATSINA

JIGAWA

BIRNIN KEBBI

BORNO

YOBE

GUSAU

KANO

MAIDUGURI

DUTSE

DAMATURU

KANO

KEBBI

TIGO DAM

KADUNA

BAUCHI

KADUNA

GOMBE

BAUCHI

KAINJ RESERVOIR

BENIN

GOMBE

NIGER

JOS

ADAMAWA

MINNA

NIGERIA

YOLA

ABUJA

KWARA

PLATEAU

JALINGO

FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY

LAFIA

ILORIN

NASSARAWA

OYO

TARABA

EKITI

LOKOJA

OSHOGBO

KOGI

IBADAN

MAKURDI

ADO-EKITI

OSUN

BENUE

AKURE

ABEOKUTA

OGUN

ONDO

EDO

ENUGU

IKEJA

CAMEROUN

LAGOS

ABAKALIKI

AWKA

BENIN CITY

ENUGU

ASABA

EBONYI

ANAMBRA

BIGHT OF BENIN

CROSS RIVER

ABIA

DELTA

UMUAHIA

OWERRI

AKWA IBOM

CALABAR

GULF OF GUINEA

RIVERS

YENAGOA

UYO

BEYELSA

PORT HARCOURT

BIGHT OF BIAFRA

STORY

Deborah Samuel murdered for a text message

Deborah Samuel Yakubu was a student at the Shehu Shagari College of Education in Sokoto, northern Nigeria. In May she was accused of having sent a blasphemous WhatsApp message about Mohammed during Ramadan, while the college was closed for holidays. When she returned to class, a group of students was waiting and attacked her, stoning her and then setting fire to her body. After two people were arrested for her murder, groups of rioters attacked Christian sites in different places in the state capital.

The Catholic bishop of Sokoto, Mgr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, a promotor of inter-religious dialogue in his diocese, spared no words in condemning the criminal act against Deborah. Bishop Kukah recalled that Christians have lived in peace with their Muslim neighbors in Sokoto for years, and asked those who were directly affected, and the Christian community of Sokoto, to keep calm and wait for justice to follow its course.

Original articles: https://acninternational.org/nige- ria-christian-student-stoned-and-bur- ned-to-death/ https://acninternational.org/anti-chris- tian-violence-in-nigeria/

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2.3. Catholic Church in Nigeria It is said that the majority of Christians live in the south, but dio- ceses like Jalingo, Jos and Benue, in north and central Nigeria, are majority Christian, and others, like Kaduna, Abuja and Nassa- rawa are estimated to be about half Christian. On the other hand Kwara, which is in the south, is only around 40% Christian. The Yoruba area in the west has traditionally been Protestant and Anglican, whereas Igboland in the east has always been the area of greatest activity of the Catholic Church. Out of all Chris- tians: 64% are protestant and 25% are Catholic. There are many small African Churches that broke off from Protestant denomi- nations. Apart from Benin and Warri, in the Niger Delta, which had come

into contact with Christianity through the Portuguese in the 15th century, other regions only had contact with Christians in the 19th century. The colonial British rulers established a regulation that Chris- tians could not proselytize in the northern Muslim region, but small missionary activities were allowed to start up in the Midd- le Belt in the 1920s. Reading the history of the beginnings of the archdioceses in Kaduna, for example, one discovers a close link between the development of the railway and the arrival of the first priests, many of them Irish, in the north of the country. The Catholic Church has done, and continues to do, immense work for inter-religious and inter-ethnic dialogue in the country. The bishops in the north, especially, are peacemakers and com- munity builders.

Catholic Church at a glance

Statistical Yearbook of the Church 2020 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

Workforce for the Church’s apostolate

C A T HO L I C POPULATION 14 , 82%

73BISHOPS 53 DIOCESAN 20 TITULAR

8 PRIESTS , 778 7,162 DIOCESAN 1,616 RELIGIOUS

LAY MEN'S SECULAR INSTITUTES LAY WOMEN'S SECULAR INSTITUTES LAY MISSIONARIES CATECHISTS

6,322

RELIGIOUS MEN NOT PRIESTS RELIGIOUS WOMEN (PROFESSED)

206 , 175 , 000

TOTAL POPULATION CATHOLICS

30 , 556 , 00

1 , 948 20 , 416 9

683

6 , 555 SEMINARIANS

STUDENTS OF PHILOSOPHY AND THEOLOGY

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275 HOSPITALS 219 DISPENSARIES 53 ORPHANAGES 52 NURSERIES SPECIAL CENTERS FOR SOCIAL EDUCATION HOMES FOR ELDERLY AND HANDICAPPED PEOPLE 46 45 615 MATRIMONIAL ADVICE CENTERS

Catholic Church at a glance

Statistical Yearbook of the Church 2020 (Libreria Editrice Vaticana)

1 , 832 1 , 940 1 , 328

KINDERGARDENS

CATHOLIC WELFARE INSTITUTIONS 1 , 375

PRIMARY OR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

CATHOLIC EDUCATION FACILITIES © Aid to the Church in Need, 2023 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is visible acknowledged.

SECONDARY SCHOOLS JUNIOR AND SENIOR

70 OTHER

INSTITUTIONS

Catholic Ecclesiastical Provinces and Dioceses in Nigeria

Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria (CSN) - 2022

Archdioceses and their correspondent depending dioceses in Nigeria 6 :

Abuja: Gboko, Idah, Katsina-Ala, Lafia, Lokoja, Makurdi, Otukpo Benin City: Auchi, Bomadi, Issele-Uku, Uromi, Warri Calabar: Ikot Ekpene, Ogoja, Port Harcourt, Uyo Ibadan: Ekiti, Ilorin, Ondo, Osogbo, Oyo Jos: Bauchi, Jalingo, Maiduguri, Pankshin, Shendam, Wukari, Yola

Kaduna: Kafanchan, Kano, Kontagora, Minna, Sokoto, Zaria Lagos: Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode Onitsha: Abakaliki, Awgu, Awka, Ekwulobia, Enugu, Nnewi, Nsukka Owerri: Aba, Ahiara, Okigwe, Orlu, Umuahia Furthermore, independent: Maronite Eparchy Our Lady of the Annunciation at Ibadan

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2.4. Discrimination of Christians in North Nigeria The current situation in Nigeria has created great tensions, and made the nation politically polarized. Decisions, statements, and appointments of political leaders make many Nigerians question the unity of the country. Nigeria’s Constitution recog- nizes the principle of the federal character, which means that all the country’s sectors must be represented in the administration of Federal Institutions. However, this is not the case. One of the biggest concerns in the country is the concentration of political and military power in the hands of Muslims, and particularly in the same ethnic family: the Hausa-Fulani. All the officials who advise the President are Hausa-Fulani, almost 95 percent of political and military power is concentrated in Mus- lim hands, in a country which is about 50 percent Christian. Non-Muslims in the country often complain that the security sec- tor is run by one religious group and one ethnic group, in what it is a multi-religious and multi-ethnic nation. Christians in the north of the country, in particular, speak of syste- mic and deeply rooted discrimination based on religion. Second-class citizens: • Denial of access to political businesses, political exclusion • No equity in recruitment for the armed forces (police, military etc.) • Lack of social welfare and no access to social support • Fewer job opportunities, lack of promotion in public positions • While teaching Christian religious knowledge is not allowed in public schools, Islamic teachers are employed in all public schools in Northern Nigeria • Abduction and forced marriages • Christian men are not allowed to marry Muslim women • Students with Christian names have been denied admission and professional courses. Many opt to change their name in schools • Christian groups and institutions are not given space to build

Under the Constitution, Nigeria has freedom of religion, inclu- ding the freedom to change religion, to practice alone or in com- munity, in private or in public. Christians should not be bound or forced to follow Islamic law, but in the north Christians often feel discriminated against by legislation that targets certain “social vices” and “un-Islamic behavior”. Here are the sticking points compiled by ACN during fact-finding trips to northern Nigeria and interviews with local Christians, over the past few years, who claim to feel like second-class citizens: Sharia Law applies to Christians: • Hijab, a head covering worn by Muslim women, must be worn in all secondary schools, by all female students • Constitution recognizes Criminal Code in the South and Pe- nal Code in the North • Traditional Muslim moral standards – Hisbah – are often im- posed by force, including on non-Muslims. This can include forcibly preventing the mixing of the sexes on public transport systems; enforcing a dress code, especially on women in edu- cational institutions; preventing the performance of music and films and seizing and destroying alcoholic drinks • The sale of alcohol is forbidden in some states of Nigeria “Religious persecution in the north is systemic. For you to be able to practice your religion freely, you should be able to preach anywhere. That is not possible in the nor- th. I cannot build a church, yet the Government emplo- ys and pays imams to teach in schools. Every year they have money to build mosques in the budget but will not let you build churches”. Man-Oso Ndagoso, Archbishop of Kaduna 7

chapels or places of worship in tertiary institutions • Christian Churches are not allowed to buy land

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STORY

“There is no equity. There is subtle persecution, which is even more dangerous”

Ignatius Kaigama is the archbishop of Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. In statements made to ACN, he explained that the security situation in the whole country is getting unbearable and that even in the capital there have been serious problems. Asked if there is anti-Christian persecution by the authorities, he replies: “We cannot generalize by simply saying that Christians are persecuted, be- cause in the governing party there are Christians. But persecution is not just about killing people with knives, it is about manipulating things in favor of one group”. “There is subtle persecution, which is even more dangerous. It is done in such a way that you can- not say they are really killing Christians, they have

not pushed the Christians away, but the way the Government carries on you can be sure the Chris- tians are not favored. There is no equity. We are a country that is more or less 50-50, so there should be equal distribution of resources, of opportuni- ties, and people should feel included in sensitive political, economic or security positions.” One clear example is the recent decision of the ruling party to defy convention and choose a Mus- lim-Muslim ticket for the Presidential elections next year. Archbishop Kaigama reacts in disbelief: “In the whole of the north, they could not find a Christian who is qualified to be Vice-President?”

Original articles: https://acninternational.org/abuja-un- der-terrorist-attacks-archbishop-de- cries-insecurity-and-inequality/

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NIGER

LAKE

CHAD

STATE

SOKOTO

CHAD

SOKOTO

KATSINA

KOMADUGU

ZAMFARA KATSINA

JIGAWA

BIRNIN KEBBI

BORNO

YOBE

GUSAU

KANO

MAIDUGURI

DUTSE

DAMATURU

CONFL

KANO

KEBBI

TIGO DAM

KADUNA

ARME

BAUCHI

KADUNA

GOMBE

BAUCHI

KAINJ RESERVOIR

BENIN

GOMBE

NIGER

JOS

ADAMAWA

MINNA

NIGERIA

YOLA

ABUJA

KWARA

PLATEAU

JALINGO

FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY

LAFIA

ILORIN

NASSARAWA

OYO

TARABA

EKITI

LOKOJA

OSHOGBO

KOGI

IBADAN

MAKURDI

ADO-EKITI

OSUN

BENUE

AKURE

CAMEROON STATES OFFICIALLY INTRODUCED ISLAMIC LAW MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO MILITANT ISLAMISTS Militant Islamists Conficts between farmers and herders Armed bandits and criminal violence CONFLICT BETWEEN FARMERS AND HERDERS States with islamic law

ABEOKUTA

OGUN

ONDO

EDO

ENUGU

IKEJA

LAGOS

NIGER

ABAKALIKI LAKE

CHAD

AWKA

BENIN CITY

ENUGU

SOKOTO

ASABA

EBONYI

CHAD

ANAMBRA

SOKOTO

BIGHT OF BENIN KATSINA

CROSS RIVER

KOMADUGU

ABIA

DELTA

ZAMFARA KATSINA

UMUAHIA

JIGAWA

BIRNIN KEBBI

BORNO

YOBE

OWERRI

GUSAU

AKWA IBOM

KANO

MAIDUGURI

CALABAR

GULF OF GUINEA

DUTSE

RIVERS DAMATURU

YENAGOA

KANO

UYO

KEBBI

North-South Axis

BEYELSA

TIGO DAM

PORT HARCOURT

KADUNA

BIGHT OF BIAFRA

BAUCHI

KADUNA

GOMBE

BAUCHI

KAINJ RESERVOIR

NORESTE HAUSA – FULANI

GOMBE

NIGER

JOS

ADAMAWA

MINNA

ABUJA HAUSA-FULANI North-West

KANURI North-East

JUKUN Central-East

TIV South-East

IGBO Central-South

YORUBA South-West

NIGERIA

NOROESTE KANURI

YOLA

KWARA

PLATEAU

JALINGO

FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY

CENTRO OESTE JUKUN

LAFIA

ILORIN

NASSARAWA

CAMEROUN

OYO

TARABA

SUR OESTE TIV

EKITI

LOKOJA

OSHOGBO

3. Overview of recent conflicts BENUE KOGI EDO ENUGU EBONYI ASABA AWKA ENUGU ABAKALIKI MAKURDI CENTRO SUR IGBO SURESTE YORUBA

IBADAN

ADO-EKITI

OSUN

AKURE

ABEOKUTA

OGUN

ONDO

EJA

LAGOS

BENIN CITY

ANAMBRA

HT OF BENIN

CROSS RIVER

ABIA

ACN has been highlighting the plight of Christians in Nigeria for many years, with growing concern, and has singled the country out as one of the most dangerous for Christians in the world. The Global Terrorism Index 2022 ranked Nigeria in 6th place (after Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Burkina Faso, and Syria) and in the Global Peace Index 2022 it ranked 143rd out of 163 countries. Nigeria’s long-standing security challenges are immense and varied in terms of reasons and geography. The situation has become increasingly complicated over the past ten years. An important driver in all cases is the poor social, cultural and edu- cational condition of the Nigerian population, as well as political mismanagement and corruption. But there are religious and ethnic implications in some of the conflicts as well. According to Church leaders, the Government has failed to take appropriate action to stem interreligious and interethnic crimi- nality. DELTA YENAGOA UMUAHIA OWERRI PORT HARCOURT UYO CALABAR BIGHT OF BIAFRA BEYELSA RIVERS AKWA IBOM

“The government has failed us completely; it is the absence of good government that is causing this. Bandits, Boko Haram, kid- nappings, these are all symptoms of injustice, of the corruption that is in the system. Our leaders steal our money and take it to the West. Unless we can get to the root of the issue, we will be fighting a losing battle” , said Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, Archbishop of Kaduna. When speaking about violence and conflicts in Nigeria, it is im- portant to understand the different conflicts and the areas of impact. Attacks in Nigeria come from many different directions, and it is often difficult to understand the limits between outright persecution, Islamic extremism, historical ethnic rivalries, and simple banditry. FRONTERA

LF OF GUINEA

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REASONS AND DRIVERS OF THE CONFLICTS: • Political weakness and mismanagement of the state • Corruption • Struggle for power, political and economic interests • Fight for natural resources • Social injustice • Shortage of land, due to climatic reasons and population growth • Economic precariousness of the vast majority of the popu- lation • Poor social, cultural and educational condition of a large part of the population To a certain extent, more present in some conflicts that in others: • Jihadist message and desire to impose a stricter version of Islam • Ethnic disputes and tribalism - partly stemming from the imbalance caused by colonization

It is difficult to strictly categorize conflicts because while they have different roots, almost all combine a mixture of elements in their development, with tribalism and religiosity being two that are difficult to ignore. This applies to Africa in general and to Nigeria in particular. In an attempt to classify the conflicts, they can be sum- marized as follows, with geographical location often being one of the major factors to take into account: 3.1. Militant Islamists 3.2. Violence related to armed bandits and crime 3.3. Conflict between farmers and herders 3.4. Communal and ethnic clashes 3.5. Biafra separatists 3.6. Niger delta militants 3.7. Cultism and ritual killings

STORY

Boko Haram fighters, bandits or Fulani? “We look to God for safety, hoping he will fight for us”

Emmanuel Joseph says that Kaduna state has not been peaceful sin- ce the introduction of Sharia law in 2000. “There has been a series of attacks, especially on Catholic priests, Catholic worshippers, and Christians in general, and the government is doing nothing to help. Due to Fulani terrorist attacks, we sleep with one eye open.” However, the people have not lost their faith. “With all that has been happening in the state, including constant attacks on the Christian faithful in the Rubuh community, we are weak and tired, and we are beginning to be scared too. We are only focused on how to stay alive, looking upon God for safety in the belief that He will fight back for us.”

A group of armed men attacked a Catholic and a Baptist Church in Rubuh, in Kaduna State. Local Catholic catechist Emmanuel Joseph witnessed the whole thing. “Mass had just started when we heard guns firing. Parishioners started running everywhere, chairs were broken in the process, and some were hurt trying to get away. Coming into the church compound, they shot three members who had left the church: a married couple, who left seven children behind, and a young man, who left a wife and three children. They also attacked the local Baptist church, and abducted 36 members of the congrega- tion, mostly women, and killed a man there also.” According to some of the hostages who were released, the attac- kers were members of the mostly Muslim Fulani tribe, a nomadic group that often attacks farmers over land disputes. However, the same witnesses say that they dressed just like Boko Haram, which indicates that the terrorist group may be influencing them and aggravating the age-old land dispute.

Original article: https://acninternational.org/nigeria-we-are-weak- tired-and-scared-we-hope-god-will-fight-for-us/

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STORY

Pentecost Sunday Massacre The Pentecost Sunday Massacre in Owo shows how these lines are often blurred. Nigerian authorities blame the Islamic State and other Islamic terrorist groups while the local popu- lation believes Fulani herdsmen played a role in the attack. Also, the attack in Roboh, Kaduna state, was carried out by unidentified perpetrators.

me, some even inside my chasuble. I shielded them just as a hen shields her chicks. I heard the voices of my parishioners: ‘Father, please save us; Father, pray!’ I encouraged them and calmed them, and said they should not worry, that I was praying, and that God would do something. I heard three or four explosions, one after the other.” Parishioner Thaddeus Bade Salau was shot but survived. “I was in church when the incident happened. I was lying down on the ground until one of the gunmen had me stand up along with nine other parishioners, including my beau- tiful daughter. They shot all of us, one after the other. I was the last to be shot, and I was hit in the cheek. I was the only person out of the ten who survived. It was indeed something I can never forget. It was painful that I lost my beautiful dau- ghter during the attack, but my faith is not shaken by that.”

On 5 June 2022, Pentecost Sunday, armed men attacked St. Francis Xavier Church in Owo, Ondo Diocese, killing around 40 people and injuring more than 80. The massacre took place in the southwest of Nigeria, a place that hasn’t been affected until now by the insecurity and vio- lence which generally affect the north and the Middle Belt. Fr Andrew Abayomi was still in the building when the attack took place. In an interview with ACN he recalled the mo- ment: “I heard a noise. I thought it was a door slamming, or that someone had fallen, or seen a snake, because that has happened before. But then I heard a second loud noise, and I saw parishioners running in different directions in the church. I stood there in shock, wondering what was going on, when someone ran to me, yelling: ‘Father, unknown gunmen!’” “I remained in the inner part of the sacristy. I could not run as I was surrounded by children, while some adults clung to

Original articles: https://acninternational.org/massa- cre-in-owo-nigeria/

https://acninternational.org/inter- view-about-massacre-in-nigeria/ https://acninternational.org/nigerian-massa- cre-interview/ https://acninternational.org/testimo- nies-massacre-nigeria/

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3.1. Militant Islamists Area affected: predominantly active in the north-east, moving into north-western states. Root of the conflict: religious ideology, to impose the strictest version of Islam. Boko Haram and ISWAP militants are the protagonists of the vio- lence. Most events involving Islamist militants occurred in Bor- no state, where the group has traditionally been active. It once controlled an area of the size of Belgium but military campaig- ns have moved the militants back to local spots at the fringes of Lake Chad, the heart of Sambisa Forest, and local villages in Adamawa and Borno. ISWAP acts close to Lake Chad and Boko Haram in the Sambisa Forrest. But during 2022 the Islamists expanded their territorial operations zone, moving further sou- thward, increasing their activities in areas closer to the Federal Capital Territory and Niger State. Also, a militant Islamist group

called Ansaru, that broke away from Boko Haram in early 2012, has been active in the areas around Abuja. In this report we are not going to delve into jihadist Islamism be- cause there is already a lot of information about it in the media but the numbers are horrific. According to the Council on Foreign Relations’ Nigeria Security Tracker, more than 41,600 people have been killed in Nigeria in the Boko Haram conflict, including civilians, Boko Haram fighters and state agents. Other sources speak about Boko Haram killed more than 65,000 people killed between 2011 and 2022 8 . The most targeted group has been Christians, who have seen their places of worship laid to waste, as well as often being at- tacked and killed along the highways and having their livelihood destroyed. However it is important to note that the fact that the terrorist groups operate in states with a predominantly Muslim population means that the violence has not only affected Chris- tians, but also Muslims.

BOKO HARAM: 2002 2009

The Boko Haram insurgency has displaced nearly 2.9 million people (UNHCR)

2014

2016

2020-2021

Gained attention with Chibok girls’ kidnappings

Nigerian armed forces announced a series of military victories against Boko Haram

Launched terrorist attacks

Split into two factions

Founded. Initially focu- sed on oppo- sing Western education

August 2021 over 3.000 Boko Haram members gave up their arms

STORY

Boko Haram victim: Maryamu Joseph was kidnapped by Boko Haram when she was only seven years old. Nine years later, in 2022, she managed to escape. “I suffered so much at the hands of these heartless, ruthless people. For nine years I saw the shedding of the innocent blood of my fellow Christians, killed by people who do not value life. Words cannot do justice to what I’ve gone through. They put the Christians in cages, like ani- mals. The first thing they did was forcefully convert us to Islam. They changed my name

to Aisha, a Muslim name, and warned us not to pray as Christians, or we would be killed. When I turned 10, they wanted to ma- rry me to one of their bosses, but I refused. As punishment, they locked me in a cage for an entire year. They brought food once a day and pushed it under the door without ever opening the cage. Right before my eyes, they took one of my si- blings and killed him. They cut off his head, then his hands, legs, and stomach. They treated my brother’s body just like a chicken before it’s cooked.”

Original articles: https://acninternational.org/boko-ha- ram-runaway-maryamus-story/

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STORY

3.2. Violence related to armed bandits and crime Area affected: the North-West and North-Central Regions Root of the conflict: profit and robbery Lack of governance and widespread poverty have led to the pro- liferation of banditry, with some reports suggesting that there are as many as 30,000 bandits in the area, in 100 gangs. Some gangs could have as many as 2,000 members. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between the armed groups with regional political ambitions and economic interests and the Islamists. Some armed groups that have been infiltra- ted by Al-Qaeda or ISIS, and incited by radical preachers, seek to impose the strictest version of Islam, including through violence. Over the past seven years, the North-West and North-Central Regions have experienced the greatest concentration of kidna- ppings in the country. The ransoms collected through the ab- ductions – some of them massive – have become a business for criminal gangs. There have also been reports of links between armed bandits and Islamist terrorist groups for economic reasons. One of the Boko Haram victim: Janada Marcus , 22, was with her family when Boko Haram came and surrounded them. They told her father they would kill him unless he had sex with her. When he refused, they cut off his head. Two years later she was taken captive by the same terrorist group. “On 9 November 2020 I was surprised by Boko Haram. This time they captured me. They took me to the bush and tortured me severely, emotionally, physically and mentally for six days. I suffered a lot of terrible and wicked experiences – beyond explanation – that made those six days seems like six years. On 15 November I was released.” Both girls were taken to the trauma center in Maiduguri. “The first thing they did was to pray for me and encourage me to come back to my faith. I am happy to return to Christianity. I am hoping that, with time, God will help me overcome my bitterness and embrace peace. I still have nightmares, though not as bad as before. Thanks to the Trauma Centre I no longer hallucinate. When I first arrived in Maiduguri, before starting my healing process, I couldn’t stand men, they disgusted me! Now, thanks to my healing process, I have learned to let go of the hate” , says Maryamu.

Original articles: https://acninternational.org/ janadas-story-victim-of-boko-ha- ram-in-nigeria/

victims, kidnapped in 2020 in Kaduna by bandits, told ACN in a confidential interview that the first idea of the criminals was to sell them to Boko Haram (in exchange for weapons) but after some days they decided to ask their families for ransom instead. The state of Kaduna has been one of the hardest-hit by the wave of violence and criminality that is sweeping large parts of Nigeria. “In the past three and a half years, eight of my priests have been kidnapped, two have been killed, and one has been in captivity for nearly four years. Five were released. In fifty of my parishes, priests cannot stay in their rectories, because they are targets, they are seen as an easy source of money for ransom. I cannot go on pastoral visits like I usually do, priests cannot go to villages and say masses. People cannot go to farm, so they cannot feed themsel- ves. With this insecurity people are starved of the sacraments” , said Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso, Archbishop of Kaduna, to ACN. “Everybody is on the edge. All of us, the clergy, the laypeople, every- body. People are afraid, people are traumatized, and rightly so. With this situation, nobody is safe anywhere. If you go out of your house, even in the daytime, until you come back, you are not safe” , he added. In Janada’s case, she says that “after a series of counselling ses- sions, I was taken to the hospital for a check-up and treatment in case I had contracted any disease. After that, I underwent six months of healing, prayers and counselling. Now I am back on my feet. At first, I found it almost impossible to let go of my past, but after spending those months at the Trauma Center, I was able to let go. After my healing process, I enrolled in college. I am very happy, and I will give my all to finish my degree and become someone great in society. Emotionally, I have learned to let go of my past; I have learned the art of healing by letting go of my pain. My faith has strengthened.”

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Priests kidnapped or murdered in Nigeria in 2022

28 Kidnapped priests 4 Murdered priests

STORY

Priests and nuns in Nigeria are “not for sale” Dozens of priests and nuns have been kidnapped in Nigeria over the past years, including a bishop at the end of 2020. Moses Chikwe, of the Diocese of Awerri, was released, but his kidnapping raised waves and called attention to the plight of so many other religious leaders and even regular citizens. “Kidnappings have been going on for a long time in Nigeria, people thought it would not happen to religious leaders. So, when it does happen, it is big news” , said Ignatius Kaigama, archbishop of Abuja, stressing that while it is a very sad fact that the country’s religious leaders are being kidnapped and killed, there are other Nigerians who are suffering the same fate: “They are what I would call silent victims, and there are many of them,” he said. “The fact that our security forces are unable to identify these people is disconcerting and suggests that they do not make much effort to ensure security.”

Original articles: https://acninternational.org/nigerian-hards- hips-our-priests-nuns-and-catechists-are- not-for-sale/

Bishop Kaigama believes that there are several motives behind these abductions. There are economic kidnappings perpetrated by criminals who “are only looking for quick money, who hold people hostage and ask for millions in ran- som” , but there are also religious fundamentalists who seek territorial expansion, “to conquer those they consider infidels, and Christians are number one on their list” , he said. “Paying a ransom means putting everyone for sale and in danger, all the priests, nuns and collaborators of the Church who move continuously between the villages, without enjo- ying any kind of comfort, but always ready to sacrifice them - selves for the love of God and His people, would put them in danger because this encourages criminality and invites the kidnappers to do more harm,” Kaigama says.

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