• Believers who live in the northern part of Nigeria face the most extreme persecution because of the oppressive presence of Islamist militants, though this violence has spread further south in recent years. 

• Converts from Islam are especially mistreated for turning to follow Jesus. Anyone who is suspected of blasphemy or insulting the Prophet Muhammad can face intense violence from mobs or ejection from their community – above all, those living in areas where Islamic law governs daily life. 

Pastor Zachariah has truly counted the cost for following Jesus. Just after midnight on 15 May 2023, his village in central Nigeria was attacked by Fulani militants. “All I could see were burnt houses around,” he remembers. “I searched to see if I could find my wife or children – only to find their lifeless bodies. My wife and I did everything together. We walked hand in hand with each other. That day, I cried like never before.” 

It’s hard to imagine anything more dreadful. Pastor Zachariah’s faith was terribly shaken. “I felt as if God had forsaken me,” he says. “If God is in control, why would He allow this kind of attack on us?” 

Thankfully, that’s not the end of Pastor Zachariah’s story. Open Doors local partners came quickly to help the community with trauma care and counselling – just one of many ways they support believers in Nigeria, including relief aid, economic empowerment, discipleship and persecuted survival training. The trauma care has had an extraordinary impact on Pastor Zachariah. “I am now asking God to forgive the militants,” he says. “Had I not come for this counselling, I would not have been living a good life – I could not sleep, as my thoughts kept going back to the attacks. But now my mind is at rest.” 

Pastor Zachariah’s prayer is this: “Help me pray for our members to be strengthened in the faith, so that we can continue to work for Christ here on earth and not to be afraid. I am also pleading with our dear brothers and sisters in Christ to pray that God will help me to provide for our four remaining children – for God to encourage them to hold on to Him and never turn back.” 

In Nigeria, teenager Sele suffered the loss of his father in religious violence when he was just a toddler. But through the generosity of Open Doors supporters, he has been able to attend school.

• 2025 has seen many acts of violence against believers in Nigeria. The country remains at number seven, with a slight increase in persecution score. 

• Hundreds of brothers and sisters have been killed, kidnapped and displaced in the past year, largely because of Fulani militants and other extremist groups who target Christian communities. 

Open Doors partners in Nigeria provide both immediate and long-term care. This includes trauma counselling, emergency aid, discipleship training, socio-economic support, and persecution survival training.