Nigerian Christian Carpenter Crippled by Fulani Jihadists as Trump Designates Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern

Nigerian Christian Carpenter Crippled by Fulani Jihadists as Trump Designates Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern

Namiji Mairiga, a 42 year old carpenter and devout member of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in Kaduna State, Nigeria, has been left unable to walk after Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) terrorists smashed his legs with gun butts and chained him during 45 days of captivity in the Rijana Forest.

On July 21, 2024, Mairiga traveled into the forest to deliver a ransom payment for his kidnapped mother in law. The terrorists accepted the payment, released his mother in law, and seized him instead.

I traveled to Rijana Forest with the ransom that the Fulani Ethnic Militia had demanded, but what happened was so terrible. They seized the money and other valuables and also seized me but released my mother in law. Namiji Mairiga, to TruthNigeria

Mairiga told TruthNigeria he was flogged daily "like an animal" and fed only three times a week. He watched three fellow detainees killed and was repeatedly told he would be executed before being spared.

His family assembled a second ransom of three motorcycles valued at ₦1.2 million each along with ₦1 million in cash. He was finally released on September 4, 2024, but returned home broken and unable to walk, work, or till his farm.

A few days into my captivity, some victims broke the chains on their legs and escaped. The Fulani terrorists were so angry they used the butts of their guns to smash our legs. Despite dripping with blood, they fastened chains on our legs and that is how I developed this gash. Namiji Mairiga

Meanwhile in Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump recently declared that the United States "cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria." The State Department has redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern, a label reserved for governments implicated in severe violations of religious freedom.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the Pentagon is working "aggressively with Nigeria to end the persecution of Christians by jihadist terrorists."

American Missionary Rescues Disabled Nigerian Christian After Trump's CPC Redesignation of Nigeria

Equipping the Persecuted (ETP), led by American missionary and filmmaker Judd Saul, deployed a team to locate Mairiga in Kajuru County. They found him unable to walk, his leg deteriorating and leaking discharge.

Mairiga must walk again, get him to the best hospitals. He is God's creature, and we must help him back to his feet. Judd Saul, Equipping the Persecuted

Multiple orthopedic specialists initially declined the case, citing the severity of the wounds and possible bone deterioration. Mairiga is now receiving treatment at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, where doctors are assessing reconstructive options, including possible plastic surgery.

His wife Rose Mairiga told TruthNigeria that ETP paid for treatment and transportation, and provided a cash donation along with a bag of rice to sustain the family during his recovery.

The Crusader's Opinion

While Washington bureaucrats debate and draft memos, a Christian carpenter sits rotting in a mud hut because Fulani jihadists shattered his legs for the crime of loving Christ. President Trump and Secretary Hegseth are finally saying what every honest observer has known for years: Nigeria is a slaughterhouse for Christians, and the Nigerian government is complicit through its cowardice and indifference. But statements do not heal wounds. Sanctions do not rebuild legs. Imagine the outrage if Christians in a Muslim country were doing this to Muslims. The silence of the secular West is deafening. Judd Saul and Equipping the Persecuted showed us what real Christianity looks like: boots on the ground, hands in the wounds, refusing to abandon the least of these. That is the faith that saves souls and bodies.

Take Action

• Donate to The Shepherd's Shield to directly support persecuted Christians worldwide: www.TheShepherdsShield.org
• Support Equipping the Persecuted, the organization that found and rescued Namiji Mairiga: equippingthepersecuted.org
• Donate to Open Doors USA to support Christians suffering under persecution in Nigeria and beyond: www.opendoorsus.org
• Give to Voice of the Martyrs to help fund medical care and advocacy for victims of jihadist violence: www.persecution.com
• Contact your U.S. Representative and Senators at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov and urge them to support sustained action to end the genocide of Nigerian Christians.
• Pray daily for Namiji Mairiga's healing, for Rose Mairiga and their family, and for the thousands of Nigerian Christians still held captive or living under the threat of Fulani militia violence.