Nigeria's Christians on edge for Easter after Palm Sunday massacre

JOHANNESBURG A Holy Week onslaught successful a predominantly Christian municipality successful Nigeria which near a reported 28 dormant has led to wide fears that much of Christ’s followers could beryllium targeted implicit the coming Easter weekend.

On Palm Sunday past weekend, aggregate gunmen reportedly shouted a Muslim declaration arsenic they randomly opened occurrence successful the predominantly Christian municipality of Angwan Rukuba, successful the Jos District of Nigeria’s Plateau State.

"The terrorists stormed the country successful a commando benignant and started shooting, sporadically chanting, 'Allahu Akbar' (God is large successful Arabic)," a tract idiosyncratic told the assistance bureau Voice of the Martyrs from the scene, adding "the country is (a majority) Christian community."

Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK & Ireland, told Fox News Digital this Easter determination are fears of much attacks against Christians successful Nigeria: "Tragic events similar this are each excessively communal successful Plateau State and ample areas of bluish Nigeria. And excessively often they tin hap connected Christian beatified days similar this – so radical successful the portion volition retrieve the devastating 2023 Christmas Eve attacks successful Benue authorities that killed implicit 140 people."

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Police officers stitchery astatine the country of Sunday nighttime gunmen onslaught successful Gari Ya Waye assemblage successful the Jos North Nigeria, Monday, March 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Samson Omale)

Nigeria is ranked the seventh-worst state successful the satellite for Christian persecution, by Open Doors. The enactment claims it accounts for 72% of the full fig of Christian killings worldwide successful 2025.

A section quality rights lawyer who asked to conceal his sanction owed to information fears, was adjacent erstwhile this latest onslaught happened. He told Fox News Digital "a radical of radical came, astir 20, immoderate connected motorcycles, and started shooting."

He added that the country is fundamentally a Christian 1 "and for anybody to spell and openly sprout astatine people, past it indispensable beryllium that that idiosyncratic had Christians successful mind."

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Funerals for immoderate 27 Christians who were reportedly killed by Islamist Fulani tribesmen successful the colony of Bindi Ta-hoss, Nigeria connected July, 28, 2025 (Courtesy: Christian Solidarity International (CSI))

Another section Christian resident, who besides asked to withhold his name, told Fox News Digital, "I tin guarantee you that the bulk presumption among Christians successful Nigeria is that what we are experiencing successful Nigeria is Islamic expansionism, and it indispensable beryllium stopped, utilizing immoderate means is necessary."

The quality rights lawyer said determination are reports of videos circulating which are threatening much attacks against Christians, adding: "Here successful Jos successful Nigeria, we accidental that determination is nary Christian vacation oregon lawsuit near connected the Christian calendar that has escaped an onslaught by extremist Islamists oregon terrorists successful Nigeria, whether it is Christmas, Easter oregon Good Friday, Palm Sunday, oregon Sunday services oregon whatever. We are trapped."

Christians clasp signs arsenic they march connected the streets of Abuja during a supplication and penance for bid and information successful Nigeria successful Abuja connected March 1, 2020. - The Catholic Bishops of Nigeria gathered faithfuls arsenic good arsenic different Christians and different radical to commune for information and to denounce the barbaric killings of Christians by the Boko Haram insurgents and the incessant cases of kidnapping for ransom successful Nigeria.  (Photo by Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images)

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In a connection to Fox News Digital, Todd Nettleton of the Voice of the Martyrs’ radical said that successful countries similar Nigeria, "Easter is often a play of peril. Holy days connected the Christian calendar, including Christmas and Easter, are often times erstwhile those who hatred the Gospel people our brothers and sisters successful convulsive attacks."

Open Doors’ Blythe said, "The fearfulness of being brutally attacked volition bent implicit millions of Christians crossed Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, arsenic they hole for Easter – a festival that should beryllium the astir joyful infinitesimal successful the Christian calendar. We volition beryllium praying that Christians astir the satellite volition beryllium harmless and escaped to observe and worship jubilantly this Eastertide."

Fox News Digital reached retired to the Nigerian authorities for comment, but received nary response.