Islamist Terror targets Christian Villages

Abuja – There is one figure that illustrates the scale of the crisis in Bokkos: 8,420. That is how many displaced people have been registered since April 2025 in this district.
The continuing violence primarily targets Christians, but increasingly also Muslims who reject Islamist extremism and want to live peacefully alongside their Christian neighbours.
Villages are burned and destroyed, forcing residents to flee. The terrorists’ aim is clear: to spread fear and make Christian villages uninhabitable.

CiN Emergency Aid on the Ground

CiN project partner Father Andrew is helping families affected by the crisis. He organises emergency aid and helps displaced families find shelter in neighbouring villages or within his parish.
“The most important thing is that everyone has a roof over their head, enough to eat and access to treatment for their wounds,” says Father Andrew.
For many, praying together provides comfort and reminds them that they are not alone. These moments of community and silence give victims strength and hope during an extremely difficult time.

Young Women Driven into Prostitution

One development particularly worries Father Andrew. “We see young women turning to prostitution because they cannot find work and need money to rebuild their destroyed homes,” he says.

Skills Training Offers a Way Out

For this reason, the priest began looking for people with the necessary expertise to establish training programmes that could offer these women an alternative.
His approach shows that effective aid can take many forms. One of Father Andrew’s ideas is cake-making:
“Here in Nigeria, there are always weddings and other celebrations, so there is strong demand for cakes. If the women learn how to bake and decorate them, they have a real chance of finding dignified work.”

The initiative is still small, but every woman who can leave prostitution behind is a success. CiN therefore provides more than immediate emergency assistance such as medical care and food for displaced families.
It also supports people in building an independent and dignified future. Vocational training for displaced women in Bokkos will be an important part of this work.