Connect with us

INTERNACIONAL

Fears remain this Easter that Christians in Nigeria are being ‘wiped out’ by Muslim extremists

Published

on


It’s going to be a wretched and fearful Easter for Christians in Nigeria. 

The killing and persecution of Christians by Islamist militants intent on creating a muslim caliphate in this West African country is continuing apparently unchecked despite the population being 46% Christian.

Advertisement

«Nigeria’s Christians are being wiped out; we need to call it what it is — genocide,» Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern (ICC), a persecution watchdog, told Fox News Digital.

«Let’s start with the horrible attacks on April 2-3, 2025, in (Nigeria’s) Plateau State’s Bokkos County. Over 60 Christians (were) slaughtered, and 383 homes torched» King said. «Families were burned alive, and kids were left homeless. It’s gut-wrenching. The worst thing is that there’s nothing truly «special» about this attack. This has gone on for 20 years and has only expanded.»

LAUREN GREEN: 3 QUESTIONS ABOUT EASTER EVERY CHRISTIAN SHOULD AND CAN ANSWER

Advertisement

At least 51 Christians were killed in another attack in Nigeria’s Plateau State.  (Reuters)

King believes Nigeria is a killing field for Christians, and that this isn’t random violence. He continued with figures, confirmed by local leaders on the ground in Nigeria.

«It’s a calculated push from the Fulanis to erase Christians from their homeland, Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Since 2001, up to 100,000 Christians have been butchered, and 3.5 million farmers have been kicked off their land by Fulani Islamist terrorists. They roll in with AK-47s, machetes and gasoline, and no one’s stopping them. For 20 years, the government has done nothing.

Advertisement

«This is a massive land grab disguised as a dispute or tribal spat. What we are witnessing is a massive and long-running stealth jihad.»

FRANKLIN GRAHAM SHARES HOPE MESSAGE IN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON EASTER SPECIAL: ‘GOD HASN’T FORGOTTEN THEM’

One woman widowed in an attack is reported to have told the ICC, «They want our land, our lives, our Jesus.»

Advertisement

Just last weekend, the ICC and local sources claim, another 54 Christians were slaughtered after celebrating at a Palm Sunday service in the village of Zikke, near Jos. The attack reportedly went on for a solid hour with no attempt by authorities to stop it.

Christians in Nigeria

Members of St. Leo Catholic Church hold a procession to mark Palm Sunday in Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, April 13, 2025. (Adekunle Ajayi/Getty Images)

Members of the Christian group Open Doors UK in Nigeria showed Fox News Digital a list of other attacks in Nigeria in the past month.

  • March 24 — Dundu village, Bassa LGA. Militants ambushed three Christian farmers while they were cultivating their land.
  • March 27  — Ruwi community, Bokkos LGA. Fulani militants killed 11 Christians attending a funeral.
  • April 2. — Bokkos LGA, Militants attacked Tamiso village, where women were having a Christian fellowship meeting at a COCIN (Church of Christ in Nations) church, killing at least five. The village of Dafo was also attacked, killing two.
  • April 6 — Militants killed four people in Pyakmula village in Bokkos LGA.
  • April 7 — Harra village in the Bassa LGA killing three people.
  • April 8 — Three separate attacks were launched, killing at least two in Bassa LGA.
  • April 11 — Militants attacked Zogu village in Bassa LGA, killing three people, a father and his two sons. The father was beheaded by the militants, according to OD field contacts.

Nigeria ranks seventh on Open Doors’ 2025 World Watchlist, an annual index of countries where Christians face the most persecution.

«Christians in northern and central Nigeria face extreme violence from Boko Haram, ISWAP, (Islamic State West African Province) and armed Fulani militants who have killed thousands of believers, destroyed hundreds of churches and displaced entire Christian communities,» Ryan Brown, CEO of Open Doors US, told Fox News Digital.  «The recent attacks in Plateau State represent yet another chapter in this ongoing crisis of religious persecution.

Advertisement

«These attacks have devastated communities that were still recovering from the Christmas Eve massacre that killed approximately 200 Christians in the same region in 2023.»

Nigerian soldiers

Nigerian soldiers secure the area outside St. Francis Catholic Church in the town of Owo, Nigeria, June 6, 2022, a day after an attack that targeted worshippers. (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

Families have lost male breadwinners, with women and children often sexually assaulted, Brown added. 

«Survivors are now living in at least four displacement camps, facing food insecurity and unable to access education or worship safely,» Brown added.

Advertisement

Bishop Ayuba Matawal has profiled the Islamist killers. Matawal is chairman of the Nigerian Bokkos Internally Displaced People’s Welfare Committee. 

«It appears that some of these extremists have been indoctrinated with an ideology of seizing land from Christian communities, continuing the legacy of Uthman dan Fodio’s vision of spreading Islam across Nigeria,» he said. «Although their numbers may be small, these extremists have inflicted severe damage on Christian communities.»

The ICC’s King told Fox News Digital he is calling upon the State Department to list Nigeria «as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC).» 

Advertisement

This is a U.S. government label that means sanctions, pressure and real consequences.

King added that he believes the U.S. should  «cut off all (financial and military) aid to Nigeria until we start to see a meaningful reduction in attacks, perpetrators arrested and lands restored.»

Armed rangers in green fatigues patrol at the Kainji Lake National Park in Nigeria's Niger State.

Rangers patrol at the Kainji Lake National Park in Nigeria’s Niger State in February 2023. (Nigerian Conservation Foundation via AP)

While not mentioning the attacks on Christians, a State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital, «The United States remains deeply concerned by the ongoing violence in West Africa, including in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. We offer our condolences to the victims’ families of recent violence in Plateau State.

Advertisement

«We also continue to engage with the government of Nigeria at the highest levels to address (the) root causes of violence, and we strongly advocate for the protection of all citizens.

«We acknowledge (Nigerian) President Tinubu’s commitment to address the causes of the violence and urge the government to take meaningful and decisive steps to prevent further attacks, ensure accountability for perpetrators and foster long-term peace and stability «

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Advertisement

In Nigeria, Bishop Matawal cautioned that, this Easter weekend, «Christian communities are on high alert, especially during church services and religious gatherings.»

«Nigerian Christians are carrying their cross every day, yet their hope rises like the resurrection,» King said. «Easter is all about life winning over death, and these Christians are living that out. But let’s raise a cry and say «we hear you, we are with you, hold on just a bit longer.»

Fox News Digital reached out to the Nigerian government but did not receive a response.

Advertisement


Advertisement
Advertisement

INTERNACIONAL

Estas son las cinco condiciones aprobadas por Israel para poner fin a la guerra en Gaza

Published

on


Estos son los cinco principios que Israel fijó como condición para poner fin a la guerra en la Franja de Gaza (REUTERS)

Israel dio un nuevo paso en su estrategia militar y política en la Franja de Gaza al definir los términos que, según su gobierno, permitirían poner fin al actual conflicto con el grupo terrorista Hamas. En una sesión clave celebrada este viernes, el Gabinete de Seguridad aprobó una serie de principios que establecen las condiciones mínimas para un eventual alto el fuego, así como un nuevo plan de acción militar centrado en la ocupación de la Ciudad de Gaza, uno de los últimos bastiones del grupo islamista.

Las decisiones se producen en un momento en que el conflicto ha alcanzado un punto crítico tanto en el frente militar como en el terreno diplomático. Las autoridades israelíes sostienen que la derrota total de Hamas y la recuperación de los rehenes son objetivos innegociables. A la vez, se intensifican los debates internos sobre la viabilidad y el impacto humanitario de una ocupación más amplia del enclave palestino.

Advertisement
El Gabinete de Seguridad aprobó
El Gabinete de Seguridad aprobó una serie de principios que establecen las condiciones mínimas para un eventual alto el fuego (REUTERS/Amir Cohen)

Los principios, informados por la Oficina del Primer Ministro, son:

  1. El desarme de Hamas.
  2. El regreso de todos los rehenes, vivos y muertos.
  3. La desmilitarización de Gaza.
  4. Control de seguridad israelí en Gaza.
  5. El establecimiento de una administración civil que no sea ni Hamas ni la Autoridad Palestina.

Según el comunicado oficial, “una mayoría decisiva de ministros del Gabinete de Seguridad creía que el plan alternativo que se había presentado al Gabinete de Seguridad no lograría la derrota de Hamas ni el regreso de los rehenes”.

Horas antes de la aprobación de la misión, el primer ministro Benjamin Netanyahu declaró que Israel no quiere gobernar Gaza. “Queremos entregársela a fuerzas árabes que la gobiernen adecuadamente sin amenazarnos y garantizando una vida digna para los gazatíes; eso no es posible con Hamas”, afirmó.

En la misma sesión, el gabinete también aprobó un plan militar presentado por Netanyahu para que las Fuerzas de Defensa de Israel (FDI) ocupen la Ciudad de Gaza, situada en el norte del enclave palestino. La decisión fue comunicada oficialmente por la Oficina del Primer Ministro y confirmada por medios locales.

Antes de la reunión del
Antes de la reunión del Gabinete de Seguridad, el primer ministro Benjamin Netanyahu declaró que Israel no quiere gobernar Gaza (REUTERS)

Según el comunicado, las FDI se prepararán para avanzar sobre la ciudad y se comprometerán a garantizar la provisión de ayuda humanitaria a la población civil ubicada fuera de las zonas de combate. La oficina del primer ministro señaló que el gabinete respaldó la “propuesta de Netanyahu para derrotar a Hamas” y que Israel “proporcionará ayuda humanitaria a la población civil fuera de las zonas de combate”.

Indicó, además, que de los 50 rehenes que Israel contabiliza como aún cautivos de Hamas, se cree que 20 continúan con vida. El regreso de estas personas, junto con la eliminación de la capacidad militar del grupo, forman parte central de los principios aprobados.

Advertisement

Medios israelíes señalaron que el plan alternativo rechazado sería el impulsado por el jefe del Estado Mayor de las FDI, Eyal Zamir, quien expresó su oposición a la ocupación total de la franja, argumentando que podría derivar en un desastre humanitario y poner en riesgo la vida de los cautivos.

El comunicado del gobierno se refiere únicamente a la Ciudad de Gaza y no menciona la ocupación de toda la Franja, aunque el jueves Netanyahu había declarado que su objetivo era tomar el control total del enclave. La ciudad representa aproximadamente el 25% del territorio que las FDI todavía no controlan, junto con varios campos de refugiados en el centro de Gaza.

Medios israelíes señalaron que el
Medios israelíes señalaron que el plan alternativo rechazado sería el impulsado por el jefe del Estado Mayor de las FDI, Eyal Zamir, quien expresó su oposición a la ocupación total de la franja, argumentando que podría derivar en un desastre humanitario y poner en riesgo la vida de los cautivos (REUTERS)

No está claro si las otras áreas no conquistadas serán incluidas en etapas posteriores del plan aprobado. El énfasis en la Ciudad de Gaza indica que la toma de control militar se iniciará de manera gradual.

La ciudad, donde viven cerca de 800.000 residentes, es uno de los últimos bastiones bajo control de Hamas y concentra una alta densidad de población civil. Su eventual ocupación reduciría aún más el territorio habitable para los 2 millones de habitantes de Gaza y anticipa complejidades operativas y humanitarias en las próximas semanas.

Advertisement

(Con información de EFE)



Middle East,Military Conflicts,ISRAEL-GAZA BORDER

Advertisement
Continue Reading

INTERNACIONAL

President Trump increases federal law enforcement presence in DC following violent crime surge

Published

on


NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

President Donald Trump has directed federal law enforcement to increase its presence throughout Washington, D.C., following a concerning surge in violent crime, including an incident in which a former DOGE worker nicknamed «Big Balls» was brutally beaten in the streets this week.

Advertisement

Trump signed an executive order in March establishing the «Making DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force.» Now the administration is taking a whole-of-government approach by deploying additional law enforcement to increase presence and improve overall public safety in the nation’s capital city, according to a source familiar with the plans.

The operation, which will use both local and federal law enforcement agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, DEA and others, begins at midnight on Thursday and will initially last for seven days with the option to extend «as needed.»

Law enforcement will focus on improving safety in high-traffic tourist areas and other known hotspots.

Advertisement

TRUMP WHITE HOUSE CELEBRATES LATEST CHAPTER OF WINS AT 200-DAY MARK

Following a former DOGE worker nicknamed «Big Balls» being brutally beaten by gang members in the streets of Washington, D.C., President Donald Trump indicated he is strongly considering taking control of the district to stamp out the rampant crime and violence plaguing the nation’s capital city. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images and AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

In a statement to Fox News, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced «there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.» beginning on Thursday night.

Advertisement

«Washington, DC is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long,» Leavitt said. «President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens. Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C.»

She added, «President Trump is committed to making our Nation’s capital safer for its residents, lawmakers, and visitors from all around the world.»

The source familiar with the plans noted that stamping out the «out-of-control violent crime plaguing DC» has been an «ongoing priority» for the president and that the move is him delivering on his campaign promise to restore the capital city.

Advertisement

TRUMP THREATENS TO FEDERALIZE DC AFTER EX-DOGE EMPLOYEE ‘BIG BALLS’ VIOLENTLY BEATEN

The White House

A view of the White House at night in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 23, 2022.  (Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)

Among the priorities laid out in Trump’s executive order, he directed the task force to deploy a more robust federal law enforcement presence and coordinate with local law enforcement in the District of Columbia, including the National Mall and Memorial Parks, museums, monuments, Lafayette Park, Union Station, Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park, the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the Suitland Parkway, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

The order also instructs the task force to review and, if needed, revise federal prosecutorial policies on pretrial detention of criminal defendants to ensure individuals who pose a threat to public safety are detained to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Advertisement

Additionally, the order instructs the task force to direct maximum enforcement of federal immigration law, redirecting federal, state or local law enforcement resources to apprehend and deport illegals throughout the area.

WATCH: TRUMP HINTS HE WILL FEDERALIZE DC SOON, BRING IN NATIONAL GUARD AFTER ‘BIG BALLS’ ATTACK

Donald Trump with his fist up

President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Oxon Hill, Md.  (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

The source said the additional law enforcement will be devoted to protecting D.C. residents and visitors from the «scourge of violent crime plaguing» the city.

Advertisement

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

«President Trump promised to Make DC Safe Again on the campaign trail – this is another promise kept,» they said.

Advertisement

donald trump,executive policy,washington dc,crime world,police and law enforcement

Advertisement
Continue Reading

INTERNACIONAL

Zoo’s request for donations of pets to be fed to predatory animals draws PETA blowback

Published

on


NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

A zoo in Europe is inviting the public to turn unwanted pets into prey, calling for donations of fluffy rabbits and family guinea pigs to be euthanized and fed to its predator residents.

Advertisement

The Aalborg Zoo in Denmark announced the program in a Facebook post, sparking public uproar, including the ire of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

«If you have an animal that, for various reasons, needs to be rehomed, you are welcome to donate it to us. The animals are humanely euthanized by trained staff and then used as feed,» the zoo wrote in the social media post. «In this way, nothing goes to waste — and we ensure natural behavior, proper nutrition, and well-being for our predators.»

The zoo said private individuals and businesses can donate chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs, which organizers said make up an important part of predators’ diets.

Advertisement

The zoo is accepting small animals such as guinea pigs and larger animals for prey donations. (iStock)

PETA CALLS MAINE LOBSTER FESTIVAL ‘EGREGIOUSLY CRUEL’ IN NEW LAWSUIT AGAINST CITY

Specifically, the zoo said the Eurasian lynx requires «whole» prey animals that resemble what it would naturally hunt in the wild.

Advertisement

«In zoos, we have a responsibility to replicate the animals’ natural food chain — for the sake of both animal welfare and professional integrity,» employees wrote in the post.

The zoo is also accepting horses, noting owners «can join us all the way if you wish.»

Close-up of concealed Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) looking for prey from behind tree trunk in forest.

A Eurasian lynx stalks prey in a forest. (Philippe Clement/Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

HUNDREDS OF ANIMALS FLEE CARTEL CHAOS, VIOLENCE AFTER WILDLIFE REFUGE FACED WITH THREATS

Advertisement

PETA weighed in on the controversial initiative, saying there is nothing «natural» about the donation request.

«It’s not ‘natural behaviour’ for predators from Asia, who roam and hunt for their meals, to be fed companion animals who originated in South America,» PETA wrote in an online news release. «Companion animals are never needed to ‘imitate the natural food chain of the [zoo’s] animals’ (as an Aalborg Zoo spokesperson described the program).»

horses grazing

Horses can also be donated for prey, according to the zoo. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

BEARS ESCAPE WILDLIFE PARK ENCLOSURE AND FEAST ON WEEK’S WORTH OF HONEY

Advertisement

PETA added if the Aalborg Zoo «truly cares about animals,» it should focus on protecting species in their natural habitats.

The zoo later turned off the comments on its Facebook post detailing the program, citing «significant international interest.»

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Advertisement

«We understand that the post evokes emotions and interest, but hateful and malicious rhetoric is unnecessary — and we encourage keeping a respectful tone,» leadership wrote. «We’re happy to elaborate and answer questions via private messages or email.»

The Aalborg Zoo and PETA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Advertisement



europe,world,pets,lifestyle

Advertisement
Continue Reading

LO MAS LEIDO

Tendencias