Prominent Christian leaders have raised fresh concerns over the continued killings of Christians in Northern Nigeria, stressing the urgent need for solidarity from their counterparts in the South to help sustain the faith of affected communities.
Speaking at a concert organized to raise funds for victims of insurgency in Northern Nigeria by the Foundation of Truth Assembly Church in Lagos, leaders including Yomi Kasali (convener of the concert), Ayo Oritsejafor (Senior Pastor of Word of Life Bible Church), Yusuf Biniyat (Senior Pastor of ECWA Church, Kaduna), and Isa El-Buba (President of EL-Buba Outreach Ministries), called for increased awareness of the plight of the victims.
In his opening remarks, Kasali attributed some of the country’s security challenges to the polarisation of the Church by politicians after the 2015 general elections.
“It is regrettable that some Christians remain aloof from their responsibilities towards their brethren in the North. It is no longer fashionable to stay on the fence. We must take action to support those who have lost their breadwinners due to ongoing insurgency and banditry,” he said.
“We’ve taken measures to raise funds to ensure that affected families are catered for. Children who lost their fathers will return to school, receive meals, and access medical care through these funds. While we may be limited in what we can do as a body, we will continue to pray that this challenge comes to an end.”
Oritsejafor decried the continued bloodshed and urged Christians in affected regions to defend themselves if the government fails to do so.
“If nothing is done to stop this, we will just be gathering widows. We’ll be paying school fees — is that what the Church will do forever? Will the Church in the North just be filled with widows and orphans?
“This issue is very political. I’ll say it clearly — defend yourselves if those who are supposed to defend you will not. If the political class cannot protect the people, then whatever they can find, wherever they can find it, they should use to defend themselves.
“Plateau State is full of warriors. Who fought in the Civil War? Plateau, Benue, and Taraba. Defend yourselves. If nobody will defend you, what else will you do — sit down and die?”
Biniyat called on individuals and institutions to provide relief materials and initiate community rebuilding efforts.
He described the situation as increasingly alarming and in need of urgent intervention.
Also speaking, El-Buba painted a grim picture of the relentless attacks on communities in the North.
“We need strong support from our brethren — not just sympathy — to restore peace in the region.
“Even if they kill this physical body, they cannot kill us, because we cannot die. That is why I made the sacrifice to be here for the sake of our brothers and sisters in the North.
“Everyone here has something to contribute. Don’t just repeat the problem — become part of the solution. For this purpose, the Son of God left His glory and came to be a substitute for us.
“He took our shame and gave us His glory. To the Southern Church: stop looking down. We are one blood, one shepherd, one saviour, one deliverer, one Holy Ghost, and one anointing.”
El-Buba noted that the region had lost more than 200 people in the past two weeks alone due to insurgent attacks.
The concert also featured testimonies from widows from the Northern region, who shared heartbreaking stories of losing their husbands and the struggle of raising their children alone amid economic and emotional hardship.
Musical performances were rendered by renowned Nigerian gospel artists, including Mike Abdul, Kaestring, Abbey Ojomu, Wisdom Chigozie, and others, stirring calls for government action to end the insurgency and restore peace.
