Nigerian Court Bars Islamic Police from Arresting Christian Convert over Faith, Forced Marriage Refusal

A Federal High Court in Nigeria has restrained authorities in the country’s Kano State and the Islamic religious police, known as Hisbah, from arresting a 22-year-old woman because she converted from Islam to Christianity and rejected a forced marriage.

In its May 26 ruling, the court described the actions taken against the woman, identified by the pseudonym “Sarah,” as a “flagrant violation” of her fundamental rights to human dignity and freedom of religion, according to Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International.

The court also ordered that she receive financial compensation, ADF said in a Tuesday, August 11 report announcing the ruling.

Sarah, a resident of Kano State, reportedly fled her family home in 2025 after suffering abuse from her elder siblings, who were allegedly attempting to force her into marriage.

Her parents had died years earlier, and her siblings subsequently enlisted local Hisbah officials to have her arrested, according to ADF.

Sarah was reportedly detained for four days. She alleged that she was beaten and pressured to accept the marriage from which she had fled.

She later found refuge with a Christian family, the Abaras, and voluntarily converted to Christianity while staying with them, ADF reported.

Amid fears of further threats, the family helped her relocate to Jos in January 2026. Her siblings subsequently accused the Abaras of kidnapping her.

On February 24, Sarah filed a fundamental-rights enforcement action challenging the measures taken against her. Two days later, the Abaras were arraigned in Kano without legal representation.

The Federal High Court subsequently prohibited Kano State authorities and Hisbah officials from pursuing Sarah’s arrest because of her conversion or her refusal to enter the proposed marriage.

“The court’s ruling in Sarah’s case affirms that the Hisbah police have no jurisdiction over Christians or other non-Muslims,” ADF Senior Counsel for Global Religious Freedom Sean Nelson said.

He added, “Sarah’s choice to convert and reject a forced marriage is her right under law.”

Sarah welcomed the judgment and expressed gratitude to the Christian family that had sheltered her.

“The Abara family kept me safe in a time when I had nowhere else to go. I am grateful to them especially for introducing me to the Gospel. It is not against the law for me to choose my faith in Jesus,” she said.

She also expressed gratitude that the court had recognized her freedom to become a Christian and protected her from the religious police.

The criminal proceedings against the Abaras remain pending in Kano, with ADF providing legal assistance.

Previous cases involving Christian converts

Sarah’s case follows other reported incidents involving people who converted, or were suspected of converting, from Islam to Christianity in northern Nigeria.

In January 2018, the reported conversion of Nabila Umar Sanda, then a 19-year-old student at Bingham University in Abuja, attracted national attention after security officials intervened.

Media reports indicated that Nigeria’s Department of State Services arrested Sanda and some of her Christian associates after Islamic leaders learned of her conversion. Christian leaders Jeremiah Datim and Simput Dafup were also reportedly drawn into the case, which unfolded in Jos, Plateau State.

Hisbah organizations operate in several northern Nigerian states to enforce Islamic moral codes. They have faced allegations of interfering with Christians and other people who are not subject to Islamic religious obligations.

In November 2023, International Christian Concern reported that Hisbah officials in Kano stopped five Christian girls who were travelling to church. The girls were allegedly instructed to dress according to Islamic standards and prevented from attending church until the service had ended.

In another case, Pastor Yohanna Shuaibu was killed by a mob in Kano State in 2021 following allegations that he had helped convert a Muslim man to Christianity.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom reported that Shuaibu was attacked after being accused of involvement in the man’s conversion.

Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) reported that the man had left Islam but was attending neither a church nor a mosque. Members of the local Muslim community nevertheless reportedly assumed that he had become a Christian and blamed Shuaibu.

According to the organization, Shuaibu had returned to Massu village in Kano State’s Sumaila Local Government Area to evacuate children from a Christian school when the mob attacked him. He later died from injuries sustained in the attack.

ACI Africa

Nigeria faith leaders sign peace accord months after Trump remarks

More than 50 Muslim and Christian leaders have signed an interfaith ​peace accord in Abuja, launching a new body to promote religious harmony across Nigeria.

Nigeria's more ‌than 200 million population is roughly evenly divided between a predominantly Muslim north and a largely Christian south, with other groups practicing traditional religions.

Focus on the religious divide was heightened last November when U.S. President Donald Trump called Nigeria a "disgraced country" ​and threatened military action over what he said was the treatment of Christians by "Islamic Terrorists".

Islamist insurgents such ​as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province have wrought havoc in the ⁠country for more than 15 years, killing thousands of people, but their attacks have been largely confined ​to the majority Muslim northeast.
While Christians have been killed, the vast majority of the victims have been Muslims, ​analysts and rights groups say.


ACCORD WELCOMED BY FAITH LEADERS

No mention was made of Trump's comments in the official statements about the accord signed on Wednesday at a conference organised by the Muslim World League, an Islamic non-governmental organisation based in Saudi ​Arabia.
But the government and various other groups have been working to show progress on security since his remarks.

Muslim ​World League Secretary-General Mohammad Al-Issa said there was enthusiasm among the two faiths to "turn a new page".

"We do not deny ‌that ⁠extremist ideas have harmed everyone; all have been affected by it," he said.
Christian and Muslim leaders from Nigeria described the pact as a turning point.

John Praise Daniel, chairman of the Northern Christian Religious Leaders' Assembly, said he hoped it would curb divisive rhetoric by clerics.

"No hate speech, and no disrespect for other religious groups, ​no calling of people as ​infidels," he said.
Khalid Abubakar, ⁠secretary-general of Jama'atu Nasri Islam, said: "It is not a call to leave your own religion, but a cooperation of working together in harmony."

Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin ​represented President Bola Tinubu at the signing ceremony. Three northern state governors were ​also present.

Jibrin ⁠said on the opening day of the two-day event: "The government is determined to make sure that we remain united as a country, despite our differences, whatever the differences may be."

The accord comes ahead of the January 2027 election, ⁠when religion ​will again be a factor in Nigerian politics.

Tinubu's ruling All ​Progressives Congress is running on the same presidential ticket of two Muslims that it fielded in 2023, breaking Nigeria's long-standing practice of balancing ​presidential tickets between the country's two main faiths.

Reuters

Religious divide in Nigeria worsens conflict during drought

Across the Sahel region, where many Fulani herders have historically lived, rising temperatures, drought and desertification have reduced grazing land. Now, pastoralists are increasingly driving their stock beyond traditional ranges and coming into conflict with sedentary farming communities.

The WZB Berlin Social Science Center has drawn on over two decades of data from across Nigeria to examine links between drought patterns, conflict incidents, and the religious composition of local communities.

Sociology professor Ruud Koopmans, who co-authored the study, said the data challenged the perception that climate change was the main driver of violence. Instead, he pointed to religious divisions as the decisive factor.

Religion influences violent conflict in Sahel

"Where these Muslim pastoralists meet farmers, who are in majority Christian, that is where we have the largest number of violent confrontations," says Koopmans, who is based at Berlin's Humboldt University.

He added: "Where there is this religious divide, the conflict is further exacerbated by droughts."

The Fulani are a primarily Muslim-cattle owning people that have historically lived across what is now Nigeria, Niger, Mali, and other West African nations. Many in Nigeria have adopted the Hausa language, and used to be far more nomadic than today. Depletion of cattle herds has led some Fulani to become sedentary.

In the past, Fulani herders and farming communities have suffered killings and property destruction during clashes.

Researchers used a survey in Kaduna State, north-western Nigeria, to establish that Christian respondents were more likely to attribute conflict over grazing lands to religious causes, and harbor greater distrust of Muslim Fulani. Meanwhile, Muslim respondents were more likely to cite droughts and competition for resources as the cause for conflict.

The researchers say similar dynamics could apply beyond Nigeria, including in parts of the Sahel where climate stress and social divisions overlap.

In their report, the researchers call for policies to address water and land management, but also for early warning systems and community-based conflict mediation in religiously mixed regions. Such measures,they suggest, could help to prevent environmental pressures from turning into violent conflict.

Religious tensions in northern Nigeria

According to Koopmans, religious tensions have intensified since the late 1990s. He cited the introduction of Sharia law in parts of northern Nigeria, resistance in regions such as Nigeria's Middle Belt, and the rise of the jihadist group Boko Haram as factors that had deepened mistrust between communities.

These developments, he argued, had also revived older historical fears, particularly among Christian communities.

Clashes were more likely in the Middle Belt,where Muslim herders and predominantly Christian farming communities interacted, he said. Conflict is less likely in northern regions where pastoralists and sedentary communities are mostly Muslim.

According to the WZB study, shared religious identity can help limit escalation, with conflicting parties able to appeal to religious authorities respected by both sides, making dispute resolution more likely and reducing the risk of violence.

"When both nomads and farmers are Muslim, they are also more likely to respect common religious norms concerning property and the use of violence. There is a clear spiritual disbenefit associated with harming people who share the same faith," the study said.

Fulani militancy driving religious violence

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has identified armed Fulani groups as being among the most prominent non-state actors behind religious violence in Nigeria. It says an "estimated 30,000 Fulani militants" likely operate across Nigeria.

"While these militants do not share a centralized leadership, some collaborate on attacks," said the USCIRF, which added that violence linked to Fulani militants had caused more deaths among religious communities over the past year than attacks by insurgent groups or criminal gangs.

While many attacks have focused on Christian communities, particularly in the Middle Belt and increasingly in southern Nigeria, Muslim communities have also faced raids, killings and kidnappings.

The violence has contributed to mass displacement, with at least 1.3 million people in the Middle Belt forced into overcrowded and insecure camps. Kidnappings for ransom have also become a major tactic, with religious institutions often targeted.

Calls for stronger security coordination in Nigeria

The legal expert and founder of the Abuja-based House of Justice, Gloria Mabeiam Ballason, said the scale of the threat was difficult to independently verify due to a lack of verifiable information presented by Nigerian authorities.

She said this risked undermining public confidence and warned that conflicting messaging could fuel uncertainty and fear.

"These threats are real. It would help for the government to have a clear program and strategy around ensuring that the next set of recruits into terrorism are stopped," she told DW.

Wilson Inalegwu, a retired assistant inspector general of police, said that immediate efforts must combine force with better planning and coordination. He warned that attacks often spread across neighboring Nigerian states because authorities failed to anticipate patterns.

"Those in Kwara were not prepared. They thought it was a Niger problem. You go to Kwara State, those in Oyo State thought it was a Kwara problem. Now it is in Oyo. So, we must have a kind of very robust patrols along these areas," he told DW.

By Okeri Ngutjinazo, DW

Related story: Video - Nigeria adopts new strategy to address inter-communal tensions

Cost of living crisis reshapes Eid spending in Nigeria

 

Seated on a plastic chair inside his modest madrassa in Abuja, Yunus Akanji listened as children recited verses from the holy Quran in soft, rhythmic tones. Some sat on mats, others on long wooden benches.

The Islamic teacher occasionally corrected a pronunciation or repeated a line, but his attention drifted.

For years, Akanji, who teaches at the Nurul Bayan Islamic School, travelled with his wife and children to Saki in Oyo State to reunite with his extended family for Eid al-Adha, often called Sallah in Nigeria.

When he did not make the trip, he would buy a ram for Eid and host a modest celebration with his family and students.

This year, neither is happening.

“I have concluded that we will just celebrate with whatever we have,” he told Al Jazeera.

The annual Muslim festival, marked by communal prayers and the ritual sacrifice of animals, is approaching amid deep economic strain in Nigeria.

In Abuja, rising food and transport costs are quietly changing how many families are preparing for Eid.

No travel home

Akanji said even parents and community members who usually support his madrassa are struggling.

“Most of them have not even paid,” he said, referring to tuition fees that help keep the school and his household running.

The pressure is not confined to the classroom. It shows up in bus stations, in markets, and in the small calculations people make before deciding whether to travel or stay.

Nafisa Ibrahim from Ogun, currently in Abuja doing a mandatory one-year programme for graduates under the National Youth Service Corps, said she has dropped her plan to go home for Eid. Transport costs alone made it impossible.

There is also no guarantee her family will even be able to slaughter an animal this year.

“Transportation is about 35,000 naira [about $26], compared to the 15,000 naira [about $11] I paid when I came to Abuja in February,” she said.

Opeyemi Ibrahim, a fashion designer based in Byazhin district, said customer patronage has dropped sharply despite the approaching festivities.

He said rising fuel costs and erratic electricity supply have pushed up his operating expenses.

“When there is no electricity, we have to run the generator,” he said. “Filling it costs about 10,000 naira [$7].

But without it, the shop becomes too hot, and we still need power to iron customers’ clothes.”

Inside Kubwa livestock market

At a livestock market in Kubwa, visited by Al Jazeera ahead of Eid, the strain is obvious before anyone even speaks. Men stand beside rams tied to wooden posts. Buyers move from one animal to another, ask a few questions, then drift away.

Malam Ibrahim, a livestock seller who has been in the trade for years, sat near the feed, watching most of his customers leave empty-handed.

“People come, ask for prices, and walk away,” he said.

He pointed to a ram nearby, with black-and-white markings on its body.

“This ram is selling for 600,000 naira [about $438],” he said. “Last year, the same size was below 350,000 naira [$255].”

Getting animals down from northern Nigeria, Sokoto, Kaduna and beyond, has become more expensive. Fuel prices, transport fares, everything feeds into the final cost.

“Even the sellers are suffering,” Ibrahim said. If sales stay slow, he worries the animals will remain unsold after Eid, when their value drops further. “We do not pray to take them back home, but with the looks of things, I fear so,” he said.

Eid cutbacks

One woman who had come to buy two rams left with only one.

Inflation has been steady in Nigeria for years now, but what people feel most is the gap between rising prices and stagnant incomes. The naira may look more stable against the United States dollar than last year, traders say, but moving goods across the country still costs more every month.

At Kubwa village market, buyers kept moving, but few stopped to buy.

Vendors selling tomatoes, onions, rice and cooking oil said sales were slower than usual, with many families cutting back even on basic festive food.

“We used to celebrate Eid with joy,” one trader said quietly. “Now we just calculate what we can afford.”

By Hussain Wahab, Al Jazeera

Nigeria halts Christian pilgrimages to Holy Land over Middle East conflict

Nigerian authorities have suspended all pilgrimages to Israel and the occupied West Bank with immediate effect, citing security concerns linked to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

The decision was announced by the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC), the national body responsible for coordinating Christian pilgrimages.

In a statement, the commission said the measure was necessary to prioritise the "safety and comfort" of Nigerian pilgrims.

The conflict has spread across the Middle East following US and Israeli strikes on Iran, which killed the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran has responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf.

Many flights to the Middle East have been cancelled, as countries across the region have shut their airspace, leaving passengers stranded.

Rev John Hayab from the Christian Association of Nigeria told the BBC that all of the Nigerian pilgrims in Israel and the West Bank - about 600 - had been evacuated to Jordan and then back to Nigeria since the conflict broke out on Saturday.

The suspension of Christian pilgrimages applies to all state-organised trips as well as those arranged by private tour operators. Officials said the ban would remain in place until the situation in the region stabilises., external

Thousands of Nigerian Christians go on pilgrimages each year to Biblical sites in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth. The journeys, often subsidised or coordinated by state governments, are a significant part of Nigeria's religious calendar.

Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, is home to a large Christian population, particularly in the south of the country. The pilgrimages are widely regarded as being spiritually significant, with many saving for years to make the trip.

Easter, which falls in a month, is one of the most popular times for Christians to go to Israel and the West Bank.

Many Nigerian Muslims trying to get to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia for the Umrah, also known as the "lesser" pilgrimage, have also been affected by the cancellation of flights to the region.

Unlike the Hajj, which has fixed dates once a year, the Umrah can be performed at any time and involves a shorter set of religious rites.

Alhaji Zaharaddeen Abubakar is one of those stranded in the northern Nigerian city of Kano after buying plane tickets and securing accommodation in Mecca.

"I wish to be there too but I can't at the moment. I'm still hoping," he told BBC Hausa.

Alhaji Musa Rabi'u Muhammed, head of the Murna travel agency in Kano State, told the BBC: "Some of our people had even boarded planes ready for take-off, but they had to be brought back down, and now they are at home."

By Chris Ewokor and Jean Otalor, BBC

Nigerian Muslims look to Ramadan for peace after US strikes target militants in Sokoto

As Ramadan begins in Nigeria's northern Sokoto State, residents in this largely peaceful area express hope that the holy month will bring calm and reconciliation following recent US airstrikes targeting suspected Islamist militant hideouts. Authorities said the strikes precisely targeted enclave threats, but locals emphasize community stability and pray for de-escalation amid broader regional security concerns.

CGTN Africa

Nigerian government acts to dispel religious targeting concerns

Nigeria’s government is working to calm fears that the country’s current security challenges are religiously motivated. This follows the abduction of 163 Christians during coordinated attacks on two churches in the northwest earlier this month. The assaults drew global attention and reignited concerns about the safety of religious groups across the country.

CGTN Africa

Video - At least five killed in Mosque blast in Nigeria’s Maiduguri

Police say a suspected suicide bomber is behind the Wednesday evening incident. Authorities have increased security at places of worship in Borno State and urged heightened vigilance during the festive season in response.

CGTN Africa

United ‍States carry air strike against ISIL in Nigeria

The United ‍States ‍has carried out an air strike against ISIL (ISIS) fighters in northwest Nigeria, US ⁠President Donald Trump ​said.

“Tonight, ⁠at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and ​deadly strike ‌against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria,” ‌Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday evening.

Trump said ISIL fighters had “‌targeted and viciously” killed “primarily, innocent Christians, at ⁠levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!”

“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was,” Trump said.

The US military’s Africa Command (AFRICOM), which is responsible for operations in Africa, said in a post on X that the air strike was carried out “at the request of Nigerian authorities” and had killed “multiple ISIS terrorists”.

The US military action comes weeks after Trump said he had ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following claims of Christian persecution in the country.

Nigeria’s government has said armed groups target both Muslim and Christian communities in the country, and US claims that Christians face persecution ‌do not represent a complex security situation and ignore efforts by Nigerian authorities to safeguard religious freedom.

The US State Department had announced more recently that it would restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members involved in mass killings and violence against Christians in the West African country.

Trump issued his attack statement on Christmas Day while he was at ‌his Palm Beach, Florida, Mar-a-Lago Club, where he has been spending the holiday.

Al Jazeera

Related story: US ramps up intelligence flights over Nigeria amid Trump’s intervention threat

US to restrict visas of Nigerians responsible for violence against Christians

The United States will restrict visas for Nigerians and their family members responsible for mass killings and violence against Christians, the U.S. State Department said Wednesday.

“The United States is taking decisive action in response to the mass killings and violence against Christians by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani ethnic militias, and other violent actors in Nigeria and beyond,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement posted on social platform X.

The secretary added that the policy would apply to other governments or individuals engaged in violations of religious freedom.

The restrictions are in line with a new policy under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, he said.

Attacks in Nigeria have varying motives. There are religiously motivated ones targeting both Christians and Muslims, clashes between farmers and herders over dwindling resources, communal rivalries, secessionist groups, and ethnic clashes.


Nigeria’s population of about 220 million people is split almost equally between Christians and Muslims.

The West African country has long faced insecurity from various fronts including the Boko Haram extremist group, which seeks to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law and has also targeted Muslims it deems not Muslim enough.

Also, there has been an uptick in the activities of armed gangs in the central part of the country who kidnap locals for ransom.

Last month, President Donald Trump said he has ordered the Pentagon to begin planning for potential military action in Nigeria following the claims of Christian persecution in Nigeria.

By Dyepkazah Shibayan, AP

Gunmen attack church in Nigeria, killing two and kidnapping others

Gunmen have attacked a church in Nigeria, killing at least two people and kidnapping the pastor and some worshippers, police and witnesses said on Wednesday, days after 25 girls were abducted from a boarding school.

The attack on Tuesday evening in Eruku, a town in central Nigeria's Kwara state, puts more pressure on the government, which is under scrutiny from U.S. President Donald Trump who has threatened military action over what he says is persecution of Christians.

President Bola Tinubu postponed a planned trip to South Africa and Angola for G20 and AU-EU summits to receive security briefings on the two attacks, and ordered more security to hunt down the assailants in Kwara, his office said.

The president also directed the security agencies "to do everything possible" to rescue the schoolgirls, "abducted by the bandits and bring the girls back home safe", his spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said.

GRAPPLING WITH ISLAMIST INSURGENCY

Rapper Nicki Minaj appealed on Tuesday for global action to defend religious freedom. Speaking at the U.S. mission to the United Nations, the Trinidad-born artist, who lives in New York, said that in Nigeria "Christians are being targeted, driven from their homes and killed".

Nigeria is grappling with an Islamist insurgency in the northeast, abductions and killings by armed gangs mainly in the northwest and deadly clashes between mainly Muslim herdsmen and mostly Christian farmers in its central belt.

The government says the U.S. designation of Nigeria as "a country of particular concern" misrepresents its complex security challenges and does not take into account its efforts to safeguard freedom of religion for all.

In the latest attack, police responded to gunfire at around 6 p.m. on Tuesday and discovered one person fatally shot inside the church and another in a nearby bush, said Adetoun Ejire-Adeyemi, police spokesperson for Kwara state. Witnesses said they counted at least three dead church members.

"They later rounded up some worshippers, including the pastor, and took them into the bush," parishioner Joseph Bitrus told Reuters by phone, without saying how many were taken.

GUNFIRE ERUPTS DURING CHURCH SERVICE, VIDEO SHOWS

A video posted by a local news outlet and verified by Reuters showed the Christ Apostolic Church service being interrupted by gunfire, forcing parishioners to take cover. Armed men are seen entering and taking people's belongings as gunshots continue.

The governor of Kwara asked for the immediate deployment of more security operatives following the church attack, his spokesperson said.

Authorities have not yet located the girls abducted by armed men who stormed the predominantly Muslim Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in northwestern Kebbi state on Monday. Vice President Kashim Shettima was expected to travel to the state to meet officials and parents on Wednesday.

By Ahmed Kingimi, Reuters

Central Nigerian town rebuilds religious trust in shadow of Trump's threat

Nigeria, a west African country of 230 million people, is roughly evenly split between a mostly Christian south and a Muslim-majority north. It is home to myriad conflicts, including jihadist insurgency, that experts say kill both Christians and Muslims, often without distinction.

But Trump has ordered a military intervention in Nigeria to halt what he says are killings of Christians "in very large numbers" by radical Islamists.

Mangu, a small rustic town in Nigeria's central Plateau state located 250 kilometres from the capital Abuja, was the scene of deadly clashes that targeted both Christians and Muslims last year.

Since then community leaders hold regular dialogues to forestall a recurrence.

For decades, Mangu mostly escaped the intercommunal violence that often erupts elsewhere in Nigeria's central "Middle Belt" farming region.

Many of the conflicts in the region have their roots in tensions over land between Muslim herders and mostly Christian farmers, as the impact of climate change threatens agricultural livelihoods.

Mangu's Muslims and Christians mostly belong to the Mwaghavul tribe, and have lived side by side for decades before the 2024 violence.

The town's central mosque was located in the Christian-dominated district, and the town's biggest church once stood in a Muslim-majority quarter.

Both yellow buildings were torched and destroyed when the farming town of around 300,000 people was ravaged as assailants raided rival districts with guns and machetes after a dispute over land, water and cattle grazing, in January last year.

Twenty-two months later, the charred walls of Umar bin Khatab Juma'at mosque and a roofless and windowless Cocin Kwhagas Lahir church -- still stand as a reminder of the day the town temporarily lost its peace.

"We thank God for the relative peace that has reigned in Mangu," said resident Muhammad Kamilu Aliu, 37, at a hardware market. "There is no more crisis here again".

District head Moses Dawop, underlines the "peace we have been crying for is gaining ground".

Across Mangu, Muslims and Christians are back to doing business together, with religious and community leaders intent on rebuilding trust in the community.

Mangu's main market is abuzz with sellers and buyers mingling while elsewhere on the town's dusty streets, children play, rolling disused motorcycle tyres.

But the local chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Timothy Samson Dalang, and the town's main imam, Ibrahim Hudu Manomi, say that there is still much to be done.

"We've been working day and night to see how we can get ourselves back to the former self that we used to be, as peaceful as we used to be," Manomi said.

For Dalang, cooperation among the religious leaders has been instrumental in thwarting attempts by "hoodlums who are bent to sabotage the peace process" for "selfish reasons."

Rebuilding homes, places of worship and schools torched during the unrest is also taking time.

Leaders want to restore trust first among the followers of the two religions to pre-conflict levels before reconstruction can take place.

Nigerians are wary of Trump's threat to strike radical Islamists.

For many in this central state -- a hotbed of inter-communal violence -- religious persecution is an alien concept and they fear that the White House narrative could roll back years of peacebuilding.

Trump's allegations of Christian persecution will "take us back to square one," said Ghazali Isma'ila Adam, the chief imam of the Plateau state capital Jos.

Jihadists "attack everybody, be it Muslims, Christians, pagans," said Idris Suleiman Gimba, 54, a Muslim restaurateur in northeastern Borno State's capital city, Maiduguri, the epicentre of the 16-year-long jihadist insurgency.

Gimba lost 10 family members in a mosque bombing in neighbouring Yobe State in 2014, during the height of the conflict.

Saidu Sufi, a political science teacher in northwestern Kano state, said terrorists and bandits often hide under religion to carry out their criminal activities.

"We have seen in parts of the northwest where bandits use religious cover by starting their campaign of violence by quoting scripture," Sufi said. "But it is not religious."

For Adams Mamza, 28, a Christian Maiduguri resident working for a car rental firm, Trump's intervention is only welcome if "they can target it on these bandits, Boko Haram, the insurgents."

President Bola Tinubu told his ministers on Thursday as cabinet met for the first time since Trump's threats, that "we want our friends to help us as we step up our fight against terrorism, and we will eliminate it".

AFP

Video - Abuja conference seeks faith-based solutions to insecurity in West Africa

Religious leaders and policymakers from across West Africa are in Abuja, Nigeria for a three-day conference on peace and security. The forum, hosted by the Economic Community of West African States and Jam’iyyatu Ansariddeen, a global Islamic organisation, seeks non-military solutions to extremism by promoting education, moral values, and youth inclusion. The conference aims to produce a roadmap for peace that makes faith a force for unity.

CGTN Africa

Nigeria pushes back on Trump’s claims over Christian killings

The Nigerian government has dismissed claims made by US President Donald Trump about the persecution of Christians in the West African nation, insisting that religious freedom is fully protected under the country’s constitution.

Responding to a reporter’s question at a news conference in Berlin on Tuesday, Nigerian Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar held up a document whose cover read “Nigeria’s Constitutional Commitment to Religious Freedom and Rule of Law”.

“All the answers are in there. This is what guides us,” Tuggar said, speaking alongside Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. “It’s impossible for there to be religious persecution that can be supported in any way, shape or form by the government of Nigeria at any level.”

Tuggar’s comments come after Trump wrote on social media on Saturday that if the Nigerian government “continues to allow the killing of Christians”, the US would stop all aid to the country. Trump added that he had instructed the so-called Department of War “to prepare for possible action”.

And on Sunday, Trump doubled down, saying Washington could deploy troops or conduct air strikes. “They are killing a record number of Christians in Nigeria,” he said. “We are not gonna allow that to happen.”

The threats came after the US president had redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern – a label the US government gives to countries seen as responsible for severe violations of religious freedom.

Trump’s assertions echo claims that have gained traction among right-wing and Christian evangelical circles in the past months. US Senator Ted Cruz, a Trump ally, blamed Nigerian officials for what he called “Christian massacres” and introduced in September the Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025, which, he said, aims to hold officials who “facilitate Islamic Jihadist violence and the imposition of blasphemy laws” accountable.

While admitting a problem with security issues, Nigerian officials rebuked Trump’s claims, saying that people across all faiths, not just Christians, are victims of armed groups’ violence. “The characterization of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality,” said Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, a Muslim from southern Nigeria who is married to a Christian pastor.

About 238 million people live in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. Around 46 percent of the population is Muslim, largely residing in the north, and about 46 percent are Christian, mostly located in the south, according to the Association of Religion Data Archives.

For more than a decade, Boko Haram and other armed groups have clashed in the northeast, forcing millions of people from their homes. Since Tinubu took power two years ago, pledging stronger security, more than 10,000 people have been killed there, according to Amnesty International.

In the centre, there are increasing attacks on predominantly Christian farming communities by herders from the rival Fulani pastoral ethnic group, which is predominantly Muslim. The attacks there are mostly over access to water and pasture.

By Virginia Pietromarchi, Al Jazeera

Video - Nigeria-US tensions rise over religious killings claims

US President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Nigeria, accusing the government of failing to protect Christians. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu rejected the claims, saying insecurity affects all Nigerians regardless of faith and that freedom of worship is guaranteed.

CGTN Africa

Bill Maher calls out media for ignoring killing of Christians in Nigeria

 

Comedian and television host Bill Maher, known for his acerbic wit, is calling out the media for its silence on the ongoing persecution of Christians in Nigeria.

“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,” Maher said on his show “Real Time with Bill Maher” on September 27.

“They’ve killed over 100,000 since 2009. They’ve burned 18,000 churches,” Maher said. “This is so much more of a genocide attempt than what is going on in Gaza. They are literally attempting to wipe out the Christian population of an entire country. Where are the kids protesting this?”

Maher famously hosted the show “Politically Incorrect” and has said he is not beholden to any party or ideology. He often provides scathing sociopolitical commentary on his television show and podcast.

By Susie Pinto, News Nation

Mob burns Nigerian woman to death for alleged blasphemy

A woman has been burnt to death by a mob in northern Nigeria's Niger state after she was accused of blaspheming against Prophet Muhammad, police have said.

Police condemned the killing of the woman - identified in local media as a food vendor named Amaye - as "jungle justice", saying that an investigation was under way to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators.

Local media quoted eyewitnesses as saying a man jokingly proposed marriage to the vendor, and her response was considered blasphemous by some people in the area.

"Unfortunately, it led to a mob attack, and [she] was set ablaze before a reinforcement of security teams could arrive at the scene," state police spokesman Wasiu Abiodun said.

He appealed to members of the public to remain calm and not to take the law into their own hands following the killing on Saturday in Kasuwan-Garba town.

Such killings are not uncommon in northern Nigeria, where blasphemy is regarded as a criminal offence under Islamic (Sharia) law, which operates alongside secular law in 12 mainly Muslim states.

At least two other people have been lynched over such accusations in the last three years, with critics pointing out that not enough is being done to prevent the killings that have targeted both Muslims and Christians.

In 2022, student Deborah Samuel was beaten and burned alive in Sokoto state after being accused of making blasphemous comments.

Last year, a butcher, Usman Buda, was stoned to death in the same state under similar circumstances.

Though Nigeria's constitution upholds freedom of speech, the country remains deeply divided on matters of faith and justice.

Nigeria's Supreme Court has in the past ruled that blasphemy allegations must be proven in a court of law.

By Chris Ewokor, BBC

Related story: Nigeria’s blasphemy laws must be repealed, orders court

Gunmen kill at least 27 in mosque attack in northern Nigeria

At least 27 worshippers have been killed and several wounded when armed bandits stormed a mosque in northern Nigeria’s Katsina state during morning prayers, a village head and a hospital official said.

The gunmen opened fire inside a mosque as Muslims gathered to pray at around 04:00 GMT in the remote community of Unguwan Mantau in the Malumfashi local government area, residents said.

No one immediately claimed responsibility, but such attacks have become more common in Nigeria’s northwestern and north-central regions, where local herders and farmers often clash over limited access to land and water.

The attacks have killed and injured scores, with a June attack in north-central Nigeria killing more than 100 people. Amnesty International called for the government to end the “almost daily bloodshed in Benue state”. That attack took place in Yelwata, a town in Benue State, according to Amnesty.

The prolonged conflict has become deadlier in recent years, with authorities and analysts warning that more herdsmen are taking up arms.

The state’s commissioner, Nasir Mu’azu, said the army and police have deployed in the area of Unguwan Mantau following Tuesday’s bloodshed to prevent further attacks, adding that gunmen often hide among the crops in farms during the rainy season to carry out assaults on communities.

Al Jazeera

Nigeria's fierce political rivals share joke at pope's inaugural mass

 

Fierce Nigerian political rivals Peter Obi and President Bola Tinubu were seen laughing and joking at Pope Leo XIV's inaugural mass in Rome.

Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress defeated Obi of the Labour Party in the heated and tightly contested 2023 presidential election - a victory Obi challenged at the Supreme Court without success.

The pair's supporters have expressed bitter rivalry towards each other over the years, both on social media and on the streets, with some physical clashes occurring prior to the elections.

Tinubu and Obi are expected to go head-to-head again in less than two years' time as Nigeria prepares for another election in 2027.

Photos of the meeting were shared by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga on social media, who recounted what transpired when Obi and a former governor greeted the Nigerian president after seeing him at the event.

"Mr President, welcome to our church, and thank you for honouring the Pope with your presence," said former Ekiti state governor Kayode Fayemi.

Both Obi and Fayemi are Catholics, while Tinubu is Muslim.

However, President Tinubu responded: "I should be the one welcoming you and Peter. I'm the head of the Nigerian delegation."

The president's response elicited laughter from Obi, who agreed.

"Yes, indeed. We are members of your delegation," Obi said.

Despite the memorable encounter, Obi did not mention it in his long post on X about his visit to the Vatican.

Alkassim Hussain, a member of Nigeria's House of Representatives, told the BBC that the light-hearted meeting was good for the country's politics and should help reduce tension.

"They portrayed a good image of the country and that's how politics should be played - without bitterness.

"I hope supporters of both Tinubu and Obi can see that after elections and court cases, then it is all about the country and how everyone can join hands together to grow it," he noted.

Tinubu won the 2023 elections after the opposition was split between the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party.

There is speculation that the two parties could form a coalition in 2027 to challenge Tinubu, who is expected to seek a second term.

Elections are often marred by violence in Nigeria, with hundreds of people losing their lives since the country's return to democracy in 1999.

By Mansur Abubakar, BBC

Alleged Rape: South Africa deports popular Nigerian pastor, imposes five-year ban

The South African government has deported Timothy Omotoso, a Nigerian televangelist and senior pastor of Jesus Dominion International (JDI), based in Durban.

The 66-year-old was arrested by South Africa’s priority crimes unit, the Hawks, on 20 April 2017 at Port Elizabeth International Airport. He was accused of heinous crimes, including rape, racketeering, and human trafficking, allegations that shook the nation.

He was tried for eight years but was acquitted of all 32 charges on 2 April and subsequently released from prison.

According to a Sunday report by the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), Mr Omotoso agreed to be deported following his re-arrest by immigration authorities in East London (a city on the southeastern coast of South Africa) on 10 May.

Dressed in a grey hooded jacket, black track pants, and sunglasses, the pastor boarded a 3:10 p.m. flight to Lagos.

The founder of the 24-hour satellite TV station Ancient of Days Broadcasting Network (ADBN) arrived at O.R. Tambo International Airport just midday on a flight from King Shaka International Airport in Durban.

The author of ‘How to Enjoy Health and Wealth and Longevity’ was escorted by police from the domestic arrivals terminal to the international departures terminal, where he waited to board his flight.

Furthermore, South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs confirmed that Mr Omotoso will be barred from re-entering the country for five years.

Mr Omotoso was expected to arrive in Lagos at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday.

As of press time, it remained unconfirmed whether the pastor had arrived in Nigeria.

Backstory

In an April 2025 report, the BBC revealed that a witness who testified in court in 2018 alleged that Mr Omotoso raped her when she was just 14 years old.

However, the Eastern Cape High Court ruled Mr Omotoso not guilty, citing serious procedural failings by the prosecution.

South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) admitted that former prosecutors mishandled the case and failed to cross-examine the defendants adequately.

The NPA also stated it was reviewing its legal options, adding that the prolonged trial duration was partly due to numerous legal applications filed by Mr Omotoso.

His co-accused, Lusanda Sulani and Zikiswa Sitho, were also acquitted of all charges.

Mr Omotoso’s case became South Africa’s first high-profile rape trial to be televised live, in a country grappling with endemic sexual violence.

The proceedings, which drew widespread public attention, sparked a national debate over victims’ rights, judicial impartiality, and the role of televised court cases in serving or hindering justice, engaging the public in these crucial issues.

By Friday Omosola, Premium Times