KATSINA Bishop Gerald Musa said violence in Nigeria started like a “rat in the ceiling” but over the years multiplied into a widespread infestation of terrorism, banditry and communal conflict.
“Here in Katsina State, criminal banditry has displaced entire communities, emptying villages and some of our church communities,” he said.
“Priests find their parishioners scattered in (internally displaced persons) camps or faraway towns.
“Between 2021 and 2022, we had several people kidnapped and killed, among whom are the four priests kidnapped and one of whom was killed.
“A parish cannot function fully when its shepherd lives under constant threat and vocations may also be discouraged.
“In short, the ongoing violence in Nigeria not only kills, but weakens every part of parish life: worship, finances, leadership, and community trust.”
Bishop Musa, who previously served in Brisbane archdiocese as a priest, said it was “too shallow to say Nigeria’s violence is only about religion and it is equally false to deny that religion plays a part at all”.
“The truth is more complicated: different forces – extremism, crime, land disputes, and communal rivalries – all mix together like ingredients in a bitter stew,” he said.
“Asking whether Nigeria’s violence is religious or not is like asking whether fire burns because of the match or the petrol – both play their part, but it is the poor grass huts that get consumed in the flames.”
Since the year 2000, Aid to the Church in Need reported that 60,000 Nigerian Christians had been killed, which was to say nothing of people who were wounded, displaced and kidnapped.
Bishop Musa said the long-term trends from Armed Conflict Location and Event Data as well as Amnesty International and the United Nations showed an increase in both the frequency of attacks and the number of people killed.
Alarmingly, he said, it also showed an increase in civilian deaths.
- From 2000 to 2009, communal clashes and sporadic religious riots dominated Nigeria’s conflict landscape, claiming anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand lives each year.
- Between 2010 and 2015, the Boko Haram insurgency peaked, with 2014 alone witnessing over 11,000 deaths.
- From 2016 to 2020, violence became more diversified as banditry, herder-farmer clashes, and the ISWAP insurgency intensified, resulting in over 8,000 fatalities in 2018.
- The years 2021 to 2023 saw a surge in banditry and mass abductions, particularly in the northwest, with ACLED recording more than 10,000 civilian deaths during these three years.
- In 2024 and 2025 so far, violence remains persistently high, though more dispersed across the northwest, northcentral, and northeast.
The violence has shaken many parish communities and created unique challenges for pastoral care.
Bishop Musa said priests and catechists “must minister to deeply traumatised people while often being traumatised themselves”.
He said many people lived in fear and uncertainty and survivors of the attacks asked, “Why did God allow this to happen to us?”
“It is also pathetic that some of our people are displaced and are living sub-standard lives in camps,” he said.
He said for some Christians, the violence had “driven their roots deeper into Christ”.
“Many Churches in some affected communities are still full, and worshippers say, ‘If we die, we die in Christ’,” he said.
“This echoes the witness of the early martyrs, turning suffering into testimony.
“Some victims have publicly forgiven their attackers, giving a powerful Christian witness.”
Stories of heroism were also important for providing hope.
“Stories of priests, catechists, and ordinary faithful killed for their faith have become modern examples of Christian heroism, reminding believers that faith is something worth dying for,” he said.
Bishop Musa says peace is possible.
“Lasting peace will only be possible when leaders act with integrity, when communities embrace forgiveness without forgetting justice, and when the root causes – poverty, corruption, and prejudice – are confronted,” he said.
“The journey is difficult, but Nigerians have shown again and again that despair is not the final word.
“No matter how long the night, the day will surely break.
“Peace is possible, but only if all leaders and citizens alike wake up to their responsibilities.”
