Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) leaders boldly declared that perpetrators wage a genuine genocide against Christians in Nigeria, demanding sustained government action to halt the bloodshed.
During a press briefing in Jos on December 12, 2025, ECWA General Secretary Dr. Ayuba Asheshe presented stark evidence of systematic attacks.
He revealed that extremists have destroyed 19,100 churches over the past 16 years—an average of three per day, while abducting over 600 clerics and displacing more than 3.5 million believers.
Moreover, Asheshe cited reports from Open Doors USA, which found Nigeria responsible for 82% of global Christian killings in recent years, and the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), estimating over 100,000 Christian deaths in two decades.
Within ECWA alone, militants kidnapped 208 members between 2023 and 2024, with several dying in captivity.
“Christian genocide in Nigeria cannot be dismissed as random or balanced attacks,” Asheshe asserted, blaming jihadist groups like Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Fulani militias for targeting communities to seize land and impose Islamization.
However, ECWA acknowledged recent federal efforts, welcoming intensified operations against bandits and terrorists, enhanced intelligence sharing, and plans to resettle displaced persons.
The church urged authorities to expose and punish sponsors of the violence.
Additionally, Asheshe called on the international community, including the United Nations and African Union, for urgent intervention.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government and some analysts reject the genocide label, framing much violence as complex farmer-herder clashes intertwined with ethnic and economic tensions.
Neutral sources like ACLED note that jihadists kill Muslims and Christians alike, though Christians suffer disproportionately in certain regions.
Nevertheless, advocacy groups and US figures, including President Donald Trump, highlight the crisis, with Nigeria ranking among the deadliest places for Christians per Open Doors’ 2025 World Watch List.
As attacks persist—Fulani militants killed dozens in recent months—the ECWA vows continued prayer while partnering for peace and justice.
