No Road Home
Christian IDPs Displaced by Violence in Nigeria
Extremist violence across parts of Nigeria over the last decade has resulted in mass displacement of Christian communities, amongst others.
In the northern state of Borno where Islamic militants thrive and target Christians, and in Plateau state, where Fulani militant violence results in uprooted Christian communities, the problem is unrelenting. While the root causes of the violence are complex and Christians and non-Christians alike are impacted, this research illustrates the specific vulnerabilities of displaced Christians.
They have been singled out for violence, face harsh living conditions and experience faith-based challenges throughout their displacement journey.
Deeper Understanding
Gaining a complete picture of religious persecution requires study of both the static and the displaced church. Religious persecution alone, or the combination of many layers of pressure, can push a person past the tipping point where they feel they have no other option but to flee their home.
The unique story of each displaced Christian once they have been forced to leave varies based their personal layers of vulnerability. This might include age, gender, belief background (such as Muslim-background believers), socio- economics, location and ethnicity.
For example, the experience of a female North Korean escapee who becomes a Christian on the Chinese border after reading the Bible for the first time will be vastly different to that of a young Christian boy fleeing the clutches of gangs in Mexico.
Hamid's Story
his story from Benue state illustrates the situation faced by many internally displaced Christians across parts of Nigeria.
Pastor Barnabas was attacked in 2019 by Fulani militants. He explains: “I was on the farm with my brother, Everen, and his wife, Friday. We were walking when we heard rapid shooting of guns and other sounds … We didn’t know that the militants had surrounded us. [They] came with guns, machetes, [and] sticks.” Everen and Friday weren’t able to escape their attackers. It has been almost five years, but Pastor Barnabas is still impacted by the trauma of the attack. “I kept running […and] one of [the militants] followed me … He hit me on my hand with a stick and my hand was badly broken.” Years later, his hand remains damaged and he cannot afford the medical fees for the necessary operation. “Now, I have lost everything that I had. Everything in my home and village was burnt; I was left with nothing.” 
He has been living in an informal internally displaced persons (IDP) camp for five years, made up of makeshift tents. His tent is too small to house all of his family and informal camps have limited access to essential support. Most of the Christians in the camp fled because of violence that has targeted their communities. He says: “We are displaced because of violence. The news doesn’t care about it, politicians don’t talk about it, we are remaining in darkness … being forgotten, being disregarded.”
Today, Pastor Barnabas is a minister for thousands of Christian IDPs in the camp. He speaks of the appalling living conditions and the risk of violence. “We don’t have good hygiene, water, toilets [or] sanitation. Many people are dying … People only live here because it’s worse outside the camps – because of the horrendous persecution that has displaced them.”
Pastor Barnabas remains committed to caring for his church members, with the support of local Open Doors partners.
*Name changed for security reasons.