Why is no one talking about the genocide in Nigeria?

By: Rivy Mosegi, Opinion Editor

The genocide of Nigerian Christians has resurfaced over the past several months, yet mainstream Western media has remained almost entirely silent. I’ve come across some of the most gruesome visuals of the torture and killings of Nigerian Christians on social media – posts that have received millions of views. But during my investigation into this issue, I found that the only outlets consistently reporting on it were either Christian, Catholic or Nigerian sources themselves. Why hasn’t any major Western platform reported on the brutal mass killings of Nigerian Christians?

Since 2009, over 52,000 Nigerian Christians have been brutally murdered by Jihadists – militant extremists who claim to act in the name of Islam and believe they are fighting a ‘holy war.’ Other major Islamist extremist groups targeting Nigerian Christians include Fulani fighters, Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province). These numbers have grown significantly under the presidency of former president Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari’s weak or nonexistent opposition to these extremist groups has made the Nigerian church a primary target for violence. The Nigerian government’s overall failure to protect Christians has only strengthened the extremists’ influence and emboldened their mission. 

According to Open Doors International, a Christian-based reporting organization, in their article “Serving Persecuted Christians Worldwide” they write that “many believers are killed, particularly men, while women are often kidnapped and targeted for sexual violence. More believers are killed for their faith in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world. These militants also destroy homes, churches, and livelihoods. More than 16.2 million Christians in sub-Saharan Africa have been driven from their homes by violence and conflict. Millions now live in displacement camps.” Despite these staggering facts, the crisis in Nigeria has received little to no coverage in mainstream media. This tragedy doesn’t persist because people are unaware – it persists because Western media refuses to acknowledge it. Stories like this don’t fit comfortably within Western media frameworks, which often highlight crises that align with political narratives or audience interest. Over the past year, major Western outlets have devoted extensive coverage to the genocide in Gaza – so why hasn’t the same attention been directed toward Nigeria? These are human beings being targeted for practicing their faith. They are not being merely silenced for what they believe – they are being systematically hunted and murdered for it.

The brutality Nigerian Christians face is almost too unbearable to comprehend. Just two months ago, CBN News interviewed Franc Utoo, a lawyer and native of Nigeria who has been reporting on the violence firsthand. When asked about the manner in which Nigerians were killed, Utoo said, “The way they kill our people is the most horrific and gruesome manner; it would make even the devil shiver… they will hunt you down with machetes. So they’re cutting you as if they’re cutting a piece of wood. You don’t even kill a wild animal that way…these are my siblings. These are my cousins; these are people I knew so well. I spoke to some of them a week before it happened.” What Utoo describes is unbearable to read, let alone witness. For him, these are not distant victims – they are family, neighbors and friends hunted down in unimaginable ways. If we truly believe in human rights and religious freedom, this issue must move beyond Christian networks and into mainstream coverage. We cannot wait for another genocide to be proven before we care. In the same interview, Utoo described how two of his aunts – one pregnant with twins – were murdered. “Not only was she brutally killed,” he said, “but the babies inside her were also slaughtered.” Reading that is difficult. Living it is unimaginable. How are Nigerians meant to endure this while the world remains silent?

Many articles I’ve come across that deny there’s any genocide happening to Nigerian Christians have been… interesting. Interesting in the sense of how they try to twist or redefine what “genocide” actually means. Similarly, those who oppose calling what’s happening in Gaza a genocide have done the same – reframing the definition to suit their argument. Genocide, by definition, is the deliberate and systematic killing of all or part of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. By that definition – and much like what is happening in Gaza – Nigerian Christians are experiencing exactly that: a genocide. A mission to completely wipe out a religious group. The audacity to deny or downplay what is happening in Nigeria only minimizes the suffering and murder of thousands – leading to millions – of Nigerian Christians. If we recognize what is happening in Gaza as genocide by definition, we must also recognize what is happening in Nigeria right now. And to be clear, you don’t have to be Christian, Catholic or even religious to care. This issue isn’t about belief – it’s about basic human rights. The U.S., as one of Nigeria’s strongest allies and largest aid partners, doesn’t just have influence – it has a responsibility to act.

Famous comedian and talk show host Bill Maher recently called out the genocide being committed in Nigeria on his show, saying, “If you don’t know what’s going on in Nigeria, your media sources suck. You are in a bubble, and again, I’m not a Christian, but they are systematically killing the Christians in Nigeria. They’ve killed over 100,000 since 2009. This is so much more of a genocide attempt than what is happening in Gaza. They are literally attempting to wipe out the Christian population of an entire country. Where are the kids protesting this?” I’m not entirely sure why Maher chose to compare the situation in Nigeria to Gaza, nor do I agree with that particular point – recognizing the genocide against Nigerian Christians does not mean dismissing the genocide happening in Gaza. This is not a competition of suffering. However, what stands out is that Maher is one of the only people in the West with a major platform who has even mentioned what’s happening in Nigeria – and he’s not even a Christian. The fact that he felt the need to clarify that about himself is telling, because too often when it comes to religious persecution, people feel they must identify with a belief to involve themselves. In reality, it shouldn’t matter what faith, if any, you belong to – this is about humanity.

On Sept. 11 of this year, Senator Ted Cruz introduced the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, a bill aimed at holding Nigerian officials accountable for persecuting Christians and other religious minorities by enabling Islamic extremist violence. Some of the key provisions of the bill include:

• Targeted sanctions against Nigerian officials connected to religious persecution and violence.

• Requiring the U.S. Secretary of State to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under U.S. religious freedom law.

• Maintaining Boko Haram and ISIS-West Africa as designated Entities of Particular Concern.

• Imposing sanctions on those enforcing or weaponizing Sharia laws (Islamic laws twisted to be weaponized and applied against non-Muslims) that facilitate persecution.

During a press statement, Cruz said, “Christian Nigerians are being targeted and executed for their faith—it is long past time to impose real costs on officials who facilitate these activities.” While the bill has gained some media attention, it remains uncertain whether it will gain traction in Congress. Still, this legislation represents a crucial first step – an opportunity for America to take a moral stand and actively respond to the ongoing genocide against Nigerian Christians.

There’s a serious issue within Western media: if a story isn’t popular, trending or entertaining, it doesn’t get reported. If it doesn’t directly benefit us, we simply don’t cover it. Journalism can’t just be about cupcakes and butterflies – our responsibility as journalists must be to call people to action. The American government needs to take a stand for Nigeria, and mainstream networks must start reporting on what’s actually happening in other parts of the world, especially in Nigeria. 

One of the main reasons anyone should go into journalism – a field that’s been deeply compromised – is to tell the truth: to report on what’s really happening in governments, universities and countries around the world. We need to draw attention to issues that extend far beyond our own borders. What’s happening in Nigeria should be our concern. The fact that no major networks are reporting on this crisis is not only concerning – it’s disturbing. It reveals a lot about the priorities of U.S. media and what stories we, as an audience, choose to pay attention to. When are we going to stop being so self-centered and start caring about people whose rights are being stripped away, whose lives are being taken every single day? America needs to do better – both in our journalism and in our humanity.