Cardinal and Imam Unite in Washington: Nigerian Faith Leaders Blast Government as Thousands Die

Nigerian Faith Leaders Unite in Washington to Demand Government Action on Mass Killings and Displacement Crisis

Christian, Muslim, and traditional leaders from Nigeria gathered in Washington, D.C. on February 4, 2026, for a historic interfaith forum to confront the spiraling violence devastating their nation.

The gathering, convened at a Pepperdine University office alongside the Global Peace Foundation and the Religious Freedom Institute, brought together senior religious figures including Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the 82 year old Roman Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, Pastor Joseph Hayab of the Christian Association of Nigeria, and Imam Fuad Adeyemi.

The leaders had previously signed an unprecedented interfaith accord in Abuja on December 9, 2025, and used the Washington forum to address U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom commissioners during the sixth annual International Religious Freedom Summit.

Cardinal Onaiyekan delivered pointed remarks about the crisis.

Things are happening that should not be happening in the year 2026. It should not be possible for terrorists to occupy and govern spaces freely.

He expressed concern that younger generations no longer understand what a functioning nation looks like, saying leaders have "put the compass in their pocket."

Hassan Attahiru, the Emir of Bungudu in Zamfara State who was himself kidnapped by bandits in 2021, stressed that the government has failed to reclaim occupied territories.

We still have not focused on trying to reclaim those territories.

Tens of thousands of Nigerians have been killed since Boko Haram emerged in 2009. Beyond extremist terrorism, banditry and communal violence have displaced millions and created internally displaced person camps where conditions remain degrading. An estimated 3.5 million Nigerians are currently displaced, with 7.2 million people in the northeast alone requiring humanitarian assistance.

The forum attendees agreed on concrete steps including creating a joint interfaith advocacy committee, strengthening community early warning systems, launching nationwide interfaith peace messaging through sermons and media engagement, and reactivating traditional conflict resolution mechanisms.

Speakers lamented that when military, police, or other security forces are sent to respond to attacks on villages, they often arrive unprepared and without any strategy.

U.S. President Trump recently deployed 200 troops to Nigeria and intensified rhetoric against the violence, prompting commissioners to urge Nigerian leaders to leverage this attention to demand government accountability.

Interfaith Coalition Challenges Nigerian Government Over Failure to Protect Citizens From Terrorism and Banditry

The Washington forum represents one of the most significant interfaith efforts to address Nigeria's security crisis in recent years. With religious leaders from Christianity, Islam, and traditional faiths speaking with one voice, the message to the Nigerian government was unmistakable: protect your citizens or face growing international pressure.

Rev. Yunusa Nmadu and other leaders emphasized that the crisis transcends religious lines, affecting Nigerians of all faiths. The forum called for youth and women led initiatives promoting unity and dignity across the nation.

The Crusader's Opinion

When a Cardinal and an Imam stand shoulder to shoulder in Washington, D.C., pleading for their government to stop the slaughter of their own people, the world should pay attention. Tens of thousands dead. Millions displaced. Entire villages wiped off the map while soldiers arrive "unprepared and without strategy." That is not incompetence. That is complicity through indifference. The Nigerian government has the military capability to crush these terrorist strongholds and bandit kingdoms. They choose not to. And while the world wrings its hands over geopolitical calculations, Christians and Muslims alike are being butchered in their homes, their churches, their mosques. If this were happening in Europe, there would be NATO boots on the ground by nightfall. Nigeria's faithful deserve the same urgency.

Take Action

• Donate to The Shepherd's Shield to support persecuted Christians and displaced families in Nigeria and across Africa.
• Support Open Doors USA, which ranks Nigeria as one of the most dangerous countries for Christians worldwide.
• Give to Voice of the Martyrs to help fund safe houses, Bibles, and emergency aid for persecuted believers in Nigeria.
• Contact your U.S. representatives and senators to demand continued pressure on the Nigerian government. Find your representative at house.gov or call the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224 3121.
• Pray for the interfaith leaders who are risking their lives to demand peace and accountability. Share this story to raise awareness of the crisis that mainstream media continues to underreport.