Christians targeted in systematic kidnapping campaign in Nigeria by jihadi herdsmen, experts say
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Category: PERSECUTION OF GOD’S PEOPLE
Summary:
In north-central Nigeria's Middle Belt, predominantly Muslim Fulani militants are reportedly conducting targeted kidnappings of Christians as a strategic tactic to fund terrorism and economically weaken Christian communities. Victims are often held for months and forced to pay large ransoms, sometimes selling land and property to meet demands, which can leave families financially devastated. Open Doors UK reported that between 2020 and 2025, over 4,400 Christians were abducted in the region, with Christians being 2.4 times more likely than Muslims to be kidnapped. Despite paying ransoms, some victims, including clergy, have been killed after release demands, and entire churches have paid substantial sums, placing significant financial strain on the communities involved.
Mysterion Insights
Scripture: Psalm 10:17-18
"O LORD, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble; Thou wilt strengthen their heart, Thou wilt incline Thine ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed, that man who is of the earth may cause terror no more."
Commentary:
Christian communities in Nigeria are facing ruthless economic and physical harm at the hands of armed militants seeking to break their resilience. People are left scrambling to cover ransoms, sometimes losing everything. The Scripture speaks not only to individual trust, but to the reality that God sees and acts on behalf of the oppressed. This targeting of believers for ransom and ruin echoes patterns of persecution foretold in Scripture, where the vulnerable are pressured and tested by those intent on terror.
Prophetic Trend:
Targeted kidnappings and economic pressure against Christians underscore a growing prophetic pattern of strategic hostility toward the Church in unstable regions.
Mysterion Prophetic Impact Rating: C - Measured What does this mean?
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Source Excerpt:
FIRST ON FOX: The spate of kidnappings of Christians in north-central Nigeria by mostly Muslim Fulani militants is a deliberate tactic to target, bankrupt and destroy Christian communities, according to multiple sources who spoke to Fox News Digital."Kidnapping for ransom is a strategic aim of the Fulani militants," Steven Kerfas, lead researcher for the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA), told Fox News Digital. He added, "They do it to fund their terrorism, but also to bankrupt the Christian community."In Nigeria’s Middle Belt states, "these mass abductions are targeted," Kerfas said. "You have cases where 100 Christians will be marched into the forest and kept there for months. You know, they are forced to cough out ransoms they don't have, so they have to sell everything — [including] their farmland."ALL 24 KIDNAPPED NIGERIAN SCHOOLGIRLS RESCUED AFTER ARMED ATTACK IN KEBBI, PRESIDENT SAYSHe continued, "They survive through this subsistence agriculture. Now you force them to sell the farmland that they are surviving on to pay ransom. So by the time you release them, what do they go back to? Nothing."Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK — a global Christian charit...
Original Article: Read the full story →
Source: Fox News
Posted on 01-08-2026 06:17