The Christian Taking On Nigerias Genocide - He Needs Your Support.
Zariyi Yusuf Madaki, Kaduna State Governor Candidate, Speaks Exclusively to Crusaders Call About the Persecution of Christians in Northern Nigeria and His Plan to End It
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Nigeria is bleeding.
Kaduna State in northwest Nigeria has become one of the most dangerous places on earth to be a Christian.
Tens of thousands have been killed by Fulani Islamist militia since 2015. Communities across Southern Kaduna have been abandoned entirely. Widows and orphans languish in IDP camps in conditions that defy description. Women are being violated in numbers that go unreported by a state government that refuses to acknowledge the crisis.
Former Governor Nasiru El-Rufa'i, referred to in some quarters as "The Butcher of Kaduna," used state power to suppress the truth of what Christians suffered during his tenure from 2015 to 2023.
He publicly boasted of ensuring that every major political office in this multi-religious state was held by a Muslim. Governor, deputy governor, speaker, secretary to state government, chief justice. All Muslim. In a state where power sharing between faiths was once the established norm.
The federal government has sustained the lie that these massacres are "farmer-herder clashes" or a "climate change induced crisis."
They are neither. They are targeted, systematic killings of Christian communities. They are genocide. And the Nigerian government refuses to call them what they are.
Attacks, killings and abductions continue daily in Kaduna. The current state government does not appear prepared to admit that an invasion by a dangerous militia is underway.
The Christian Man Who Decided Enough Was Enough
Zariyi Yusuf Madaki is an evangelical Christian, a member of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), and a candidate for the governorship of Kaduna State. He spoke exclusively to Crusaders Call about why he is running and what he intends to do.
His faith was shaped by teachers like Professor Emeritus Yusufu Turaki, an authority in political history, and Dr. Bitrus Audu, a servant leader in missions and church leadership. From them he learned that faith extends beyond the church to the transformation of society for the betterment of everyone, Christian and Muslim alike.
What drove him to run was a pattern he could no longer tolerate. Crafty politicians employing religious and ethnic bigotry to seize power. Christians bruised and alienated from governance. Muslims fed the line that their leaders were "dealing with the infidels" while their own lives never improved. Both communities victimised by the same ruthless Islamist political class.
The breaking point was El-Rufa'i's open boast about monopolising power for Muslims in a state built on interfaith balance.
Madaki has received threats against his life and his family. Hate messages telling him "you can only govern the infidels" and "Kaduna state can ONLY be ruled by a Muslim." He remains resolute.
"This cause is godly and for the betterment of humanity," he told Crusaders Call.
His Plan
His first 100 days will focus on two priorities: security and agriculture. He will collect firsthand accounts from affected communities, establish committees with strict timeframes for returning displaced people to their homes, and secure those communities so families can farm again safely.
On the question of governing a multi-religious state, Madaki brings a perspective few candidates share. Born and raised in the Muslim dominated city of Kano, he has a deep and genuine understanding of Islamic communities. He does not conflate peaceful Muslims with the terrorist minority that hides behind religion.
"Those with the evil ideology are actually a minority," he said. "They are loud, well connected and would do everything to stay in power. I shall work with elder statesmen and clergy of different faiths to isolate such elements and lay bare the crystal difference between true religion and the ideology they pursue. Justice will be swift and ruthless, because the dignity of human lives must be restored."
Every displaced community will be repopulated by its original inhabitants. Military operations will be conducted where attackers have occupied Christian lands, regardless of how long those occupiers have been there. A task force of objective, result driven individuals will oversee compensations and resettlement.
Madaki sees a Kaduna restored to its former status as the capital of the old Northern Region. Industries revived. Agriculture subsidised until local farmers can compete internationally. Schools transformed into centres of learning, unity, tolerance and patriotism.
"I see Kaduna in years from now as a place where religion or ethnicity will no longer be a consideration wherever anyone chooses to make home," he said.
His message to the Christian families of Southern Kaduna who have lost everything: "This evil will come to an end. The enemy is a minority and we will isolate it, eliminate it and return you back to the normalcy of your lives."
To the entire population of Kaduna, Christian and Muslim: "The glorious days of our beloved state will be restored and our religious and ethnic differences will be knit into a most beautiful blend of varieties that shall make Kaduna state the envy of other states."
Shepherds Shield on the Ground in Kaduna
Shepherds Shield, a Christian humanitarian and security organisation with over 20 personnel operating across Nigeria's Middle Belt, is actively working to protect the very communities Madaki describes.
The organisation provides physical security for persecuted Christian communities, supports displaced families and orphans, and coordinates with local church leaders and civil society to defend the rights and lives of those under threat. They are also endorsing Zariyi and supporting his campaign.
Shepherds Shield founder Michael J Ringer stated:
"What Zariyi describes is exactly what our teams witness every day on the ground. The international community calls it a crisis. The people living it call it extermination. Men like Zariyi who are willing to stand up and lead from a place of faith and justice are exactly what Kaduna and the wider Middle Belt need. We stand with him and with every Christian community fighting for survival in Northern Nigeria."
Take Action
Follow Zariyi Yusuf Madaki on X: @ZariyiYusufu - https://x.com/ZariyiYusufu
Support Shepherds Shield's work protecting persecuted Christians in Nigeria's Middle Belt at - www.TheShepherdsShield.org
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