In the southern region of Kaduna state in northern Nigeria, Christian communities are facing a severe and escalating humanitarian crisis
At least 212 Christians remain imprisoned in makeshift camps in the bush, controlled by armed militias. Activists and survivors describe these conditions as an “open-air Auschwitz” due to the lack of decent shelter, insufficient food, absence of medical care, and the extreme suffering inflicted on the hostages, including women, children, the elderly, and religious leaders.
This wave of mass kidnappings intensified between October 2025 and February 2026, affecting several districts such as Chikun, Kachia, Kajuru, Zangon Kataf, Kagarko, and Kauru. The attacks usually happen at night or in a coordinated manner: armed groups, often identified by residents as Fulani militias with jihadist motivations, invade villages, forcibly take people, and take them to hideouts in the forest.
One of the most recent cases occurred on February 11, 2026, when armed men attacked the communities of Kutaho and Kugir, kidnapping 32 people – including a catechist and his pregnant wife. The families received a ransom demand of 20 million naira (about US$14,000), a very high amount for poor communities that often need to sell agricultural goods or ask for help to try to raise the money. In January, another attack in the community of Ehwakya left a young man dead and 42 residents kidnapped, mostly women and the elderly. In Zangon Kataf, 50 people were taken, and some were released after a payment of 15 million naira. In Lere, 79 remain at risk even after partial rescues.
Although 165 hostages were freed on February 5, 2026, following security operations, the total number of people kidnapped in the region may reach 1,400, according to reports from local leaders. Experts estimate that up to 7,000 people are in captivity across seven Nigerian states. The violence is not recent: since 2012, southern Kaduna – an area of about 10,000 square miles with approximately 5 million Christians – has suffered systematic attacks that many classify as genocide. Villages have been abandoned, crops destroyed, and entire families displaced.
Community leaders express despair at the government’s response. One local chief recounted that entire sections of his community were destroyed, leaving people with nowhere safe to go. Another reported being advised to abandon his village after the kidnapping of important figures and land invasions. There is strong criticism that the government shows no real interest in stopping the cycle of massacres and kidnappings, and some argue that local youths should be armed to defend themselves against these “cowardly terrorists.”
Although authorities deny religious motivation and attribute the crimes solely to the pursuit of money, witnesses claim that the captivity camps mainly house Christians. The situation reveals the extreme vulnerability of these communities amidst a long-standing sectarian conflict pitting the Muslim north against the Christian belt in the center of the country. The case reinforces international calls for more effective protection for persecuted Christians in Nigeria, in a scenario where impunity seems to persist
Published in 02/21/2026 01h25
Text adapted by AI (Grok) and translated via Google API in the English version. Images from public image libraries or credits in the caption.
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