Grim Christmas Tradition As Northern Nigeria Is Plagued By Attacks, Displacements

As the nation prepares to usher in another Christmas celebration, a chilling pattern of terror and displacement continues to cast a long shadow over communities in Northern Nigeria, particularly the Middle Belt region.

What should be a season of joy and togetherness has, for many, become synonymous with grief, violence, and forced exodus, a trend that has persisted for over a decade.

The roots of this grim tradition can be traced back to the devastating twin bombings in Jos on Christmas Day 2010, followed by the attack at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State, on Christmas Day 2011.

These incidents marked the beginning of a persistent cycle of mass displacement driven by terror attacks that disproportionately target Christian communities during the Yuletide.

In recent years, the scale of these atrocities has been staggering. The 2023 Christmas saw communities in Bokkos and Barikin Ladi, Plateau State, bear the brunt of brutal attacks, resulting in the deaths of over 212 people and displacing more than 10,000 individuals.

This devastating onslaught followed a similar attack on the Goska community in Jema’a Local Government, Southern Kaduna, on December 24, 2016, which claimed approximately 20 lives and forced hundreds to flee.

The violence has shown no signs of abating as the nation approaches the 2024 Christmas. Just days before the celebrations, around 46 worshippers were killed in Anwase, Gboko, Benue State, during Christmas services.

This horrific event has added an estimated 6,800 individuals to the already burgeoning population of internally displaced persons, pushing the national figure beyond 150,000.

Adding to the escalating fear, in the lead-up to the 2025 Christmas, 20 worshippers were reportedly kidnapped from an ECWA Church in Ayetorokiri, Bunu-Kabba, Kogi State.

This disturbing regularity of Christmas season mass atrocities across the Middle Belt has led a coalition of prominent civil society organisations and individuals to issue a fervent call to action for the Nigerian government.

They argue that this pattern highlights a dangerous intersection of faith-based insecurity and domestic terrorism that demands urgent and comprehensive intervention.

In a joint statement, the undersigned organisations and individuals have implored the Nigerian government to implement a series of critical measures to address the escalating crisis:

• Enhanced Security: The government is urged to proactively implement robust security measures to safeguard communities, churches, and worshippers, particularly during the heightened travel periods associated with Christmas festivities.
• Prioritised Welfare of Displaced Persons: Urgent attention must be given to the welfare and protection of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Internally Displaced Communities (IDCs), not only in the Middle Belt but across the entire country, with a commitment to extend support beyond the festive season.
• Acknowledgement of Challenges: A formal acknowledgement of the severe and complex challenges faced by displaced persons is crucial, including the loss of homes and livelihoods, difficulties with documentation and identity, and their increased vulnerability to further violence.
• Economic Empowerment for Durable Solutions: Creative and stabilising economic empowerment programs are needed to reduce the number of displaced persons and communities trapped in protracted situations.
• Mobilisation of Emergency Agencies: The National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) and State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA) must be immediately mobilised to provide essential relief, including food, water, shelter, and physical security, to IDPs and IDCs during this critical season and beyond.
• Safe and Dignified Return: The government should facilitate the safe and dignified return and resettlement of displaced persons and communities to their original homes, with assurances of support for self-reliance.
• Voluntary Return and Integration: Support mechanisms should be established for the voluntary return, local integration, or resettlement of IDPs and IDCs, ensuring their participation in decisions that affect their lives to achieve durable solutions.
• Collaborative Security Approach: A collaborative approach between statutory security agencies and locally established security and vigilante groups is essential for harnessing actionable intelligence and strengthening community policing efforts.
• Proactive Prevention of Attacks: The government must act on security reports to prevent further attacks and stem the upsurge of displaced persons and communities.
• Assent to the Kampala Convention: President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is strongly urged to grant assent to the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa (Kampala Convention) (Domestication Bill) to establish a coordinated, rights-based national framework for addressing the IDP crisis.

The signatories of the statement express their hope that the government will heed their urgent appeal, prioritising the protection needs of IDPs and IDCs, preventing future incidents, and working towards an enduring and sustainable solution to the pervasive problem of displacement in Nigeria.
The recurring tragedy of Christmas attacks serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for peace and security to be restored to these affected regions.