The Christian genocide happening in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nigeria">Nigeria</a> has finally started to come to light. After 10 years of <a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/">working</a> amid the violence, I have never seen more attention drawn to this crisis than right now.
Recently, the media, government, and religious institutions seem to be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-maher-exposes-nigerias-christian-genocide-in-47-seconds?author=Brad+Brandon&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Bill+Maher+Exposes+Nigeria%E2%80%99s+Christian+Genocide+In+47+Seconds">waking up</a> and finally getting the message that there is a systematic targeting of Christians in Nigeria, particularly in the Northern regions. These areas are approximately 90% Muslim and largely controlled by Boko Haram, ISIS-WA (ISWAP), and various other <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-silent-slaughter-inside-nigerias-christian-persecution-crisis">terrorist groups</a>.
As of right now, Nigeria is the most dangerous place in the world to be a Christian. More Christians are killed every year in Nigeria than anywhere else in the world. In fact, of all those martyred for their faith in the entire world, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-silent-slaughter-inside-nigerias-christian-persecution-crisis">70% were killed in Nigeria</a>. In the first 220 days of 2025, over 7,000 Christians were killed in Northern Nigeria.
This is a part of the world where <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-silent-slaughter-inside-nigerias-christian-persecution-crisis">Christians are second-class citizens</a>. They often are not allowed access to food, clean water, and medical treatment, simply because they are Christians.
<div id="attachment_939723" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-939723" class="size-large wp-image-939723" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2210691166-864x576.jpg" alt="A worshipper prays as she attends a mass at Church of the Assumption in Lagos on April 21, 2025. African leaders praised the &quot;legacy of compassion&quot; and &quot;commitment to inclusivity&quot; of Pope Francis as they joined global mourning over his death on Monday. Francis, an energetic reformer who inspired widespread devotion from Catholics but riled traditionalists, died aged 88. The chairman of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, praised &quot;the Pope's courageous engagement with the African continent, amplifying the voices of the voiceless, championing peace and reconciliation, and standing in solidarity with those affected by conflict and poverty&quot;. (Photo by OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT / AFP) (Photo by OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2210691166-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2210691166-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2210691166-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-2210691166.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT/AFP via Getty Images</div>
Earlier this year, when the <a href="https://mailchi.mp/edengordonmedia/july-29-brad-brandon-across-nigeria-yelwata-massacre-200-christians-murdered">village of Yelwata</a> was violently attacked, 250 Christians were killed in a single night. The media largely ignored the massacre, and no one was held accountable. There were no arrests, no prosecutions. It was as though nothing happened. I visited Yelwata shortly after the attack. One man, who lost 20 members of his family in the violence, described Muslims setting fire to homes and shooting women and children as they tried to escape the flames.
After working in Northern Nigeria for so long, I knew this was far from an isolated event, and it was just a matter of time before the next massacre took place. I also knew that as soon as the truth about what’s happening to Christians in Nigeria came to light in America, the genocide deniers would start to emerge.
Shortly after Bill Maher’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-maher-exposes-nigerias-christian-genocide-in-47-seconds?author=Brad+Brandon&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Bill+Maher+Exposes+Nigeria%E2%80%99s+Christian+Genocide+In+47+Seconds">clip went viral</a>, prominent and trusted <a href="https://apnews.com/article/nigeria-christian-killings-claims-ted-cruz-insecurity-e9d2fb7ae02bd3169194fb60872bb3d4">media outlets</a>, as well as Nigerian government <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/10/2/no-bill-maher-there-is-no-christian-genocide-in-nigeria">officials</a>, began vehemently <a href="https://www.arise.tv/christians-muslim-leaders-unite-to-refute-us-genocide-claim-in-nigeria/">refuting the claims</a>.
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister called it a <a href="https://punchng.com/false-genocide-claims-threaten-nigerias-global-image-minister/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNnAyhleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFZZDFaUDI4WktjODlzQkRUAR6M8Zo7XUMIpTqH8Mz_C8qpBcl22mRk1aR1peN4iVuxFYkLoN6ut4N12b_XZQ_aem_EWmRYzEx9RSR6Iox3QRocg">“gross misrepresentation,”</a> saying that such claims are a threat to Nigeria’s global image and to foreign investments. Because nothing says “we’re not committing genocide” like whining about bad press and lost investment funds.
When Sen. Ted Cruz introduced the “<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/2747">Nigeria Religious Freedom and Accountability Act of 2025</a>,” the Nigerian government doubled down, claiming it was merely a crisis of narrative. They maintain that Muslims are being killed in the violence as well, which means that claims of a “Christian genocide” are unfounded.
As in all things, the best lies are partial truths. Yes, Muslims are being killed alongside Christians. However, the number of Muslim deaths when compared to Christian deaths is grossly disproportionate, and many of the Muslims killed are a result of collateral damage during targeted attacks on Christians. Also, Muslims who do not hold the radical beliefs of Boko Haram and other terrorist groups are targeted as well.
Media outlets like Al Jazeera featured op-eds saying “<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2025/10/2/no-bill-maher-there-is-no-christian-genocide-in-nigeria">there is no Christian genocide</a>” and “simplistic genocide claims fuel propaganda.” More frustrating, <a href="https://von.gov.ng/u-s-presidential-advisor-dismisses-religious-persecution-claims-in-nigeria/">Massad Boulos</a>, a Muslim and Senior Advisor to President Trump on Arab and African affairs, has dismissed the claims as well.
<div id="attachment_992269" style="width: 873px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-992269" class="size-large wp-image-992269" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-187791736-863x576.jpg" alt="Kajdi Szabolcs. Getty Images. Source: &quot;World reference atlas&quot;" width="863" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-187791736-863x576.jpg 863w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-187791736-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-187791736-768x513.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-187791736-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-187791736-2048x1367.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-187791736-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-187791736-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 863px) 100vw, 863px" />Kajdi Szabolcs. Getty Images. Source: “World reference atlas”</div>
Genocide denial, like genocide itself, is nothing new.
During World War II, Holocaust deniers actively dismissed the claims that Jews were being targeted. Even now, the Jewish Holocaust has deniers who still actively propagate the idea that the intentional and targeted imprisonment, torture, starvation, and execution of over 6 million European Jews (plus another 6 million “undesirables”) ever took place.
In the 1970s, international media and governments denied that there was genocide happening in Cambodia under Pol Pot. Even during the Rwandan genocide, the world was told that the Tutsi people were not being targeted for mutilation, sexual abuse, and execution.
We now know those denials were categorically false.
During every genocide throughout history, we were told, like Dorothy and her crew in the “Wizard of Oz,” “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” It’s a convenient way for those who are committing genocide to continue their violence and persecution under the cover of darkness. Genocide deniers always take the same approach and tell us to ignore what we see and just believe what they say.
<h3>WATCH: The Daily Wire’s Isabel Brown confronts the genocide in Nigeria head-on:</h3>
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Nigeria’s Silent Genocide: 7,000 Christians Killed This Year &amp; Why NO ONE’s Talking About It" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HiIxRUHhsDM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
As someone who has seen it with my own eyes and lived it for many years, I’d find the deniers of the Nigerian genocide claims laughable if it weren’t so horrible. There is a concerted effort to wipe out the Christian population in Northern Nigeria. I have stood at the mass graves. I have buried my friends. I have prayed with the grieving widow who begs God for the salvation of her husband’s murderer.
All the while, we are being told not to believe what we see and to blindly believe what we’re told.
Just last week, a delegation of American fact finders was invited by Nigeria’s National Security Advisor to investigate allegations of persecution against Christians. What <a href="https://saharareporters.com/2025/10/21/american-fact-finding-team-confirms-religious-killings-nigeria-group-makes">they found</a> should surprise no one. Their fact-finding mission confirmed what those of us who live it already know. Their findings substantiate the claims of the ongoing persecution and slaughter of Christians in Nigeria. The investigators went so far as to say it is “a calculated and long-running genocide.”
The genocide is real. It is calculated. And it’s been going on for a long time. Now, it’s time for all of America to stop burying our heads in the sand. The world has stood by and watched genocide happen time and again, without taking action. This is our opportunity to stop the genocide of Christians now, before it’s too late.
* * *
<a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/ourfounder">Brad Brandon</a> is the founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/">Across Nigeria</a>. Since 2018, he has been actively serving in the foreign mission field. He serves predominantly in high-risk, highly persecuted areas like Northern Nigeria and other parts of West Africa. Through Pastor Brad and the <a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/">Across Nigeria</a> team, ground-breaking work is being done to bring the gospel into areas with the most intense opposition. His passion is to reach people in these areas with the gospel of Jesus Christ and to help persecuted Christians who live under the constant threat of violence because of their faith in Christ.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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NIGERIA-UNREST-FUNERAL

How Can The World Still Deny Nigeria’s Christian Genocide?

How Can The World Still Deny Nigeria's Christian Genocide?

Africa

Bible

Boko Haram

Catholics

Christians

genocide

Islamic Jihad

Islamic State (ISIS)

Muslims

Nigeria

The Trump administration says it has brokered a deal with Liberia to accept alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia when he’s deported from the United States, according to a Friday court <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mdd.589189/gov.uscourts.mdd.589189.56.0.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filing</a>.
Abrego Garcia presented a list of 20 countries he feared deportation to, but the list didn’t include Liberia, Justice Department lawyers wrote in the filing. The Trump administration is looking to deport him as early as October 31.
Federal officials “have received diplomatic assurances regarding the treatment of third country individuals removed to Liberia from the United States and are making the final necessary arrangements for Petitioner’s removal.”
The Trump administration deported Abrego Garcia, who entered the U.S. illegally in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kilmar-abrego-garcias-journey-from-maryland-man-to-uganda-man-a-current-timeline">2011</a>, to his native El Salvador in June, despite an “administrative error.” He was brought back to the U.S. on human smuggling charges.
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Video from a 2022 traffic stop in Tennessee showed Abrego Garcia in a car packed with eight other passengers, but no luggage. The group had been traveling for days from Texas as they headed to Maryland, and officers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-suspected-maryland-man-of-getting-paid-to-traffic-illegals-body-cam-footage-shows" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that Garcia was likely “hauling these people for money, probably to Maryland.”
The van was filled with eight non-English-speaking men without licenses, save for Garcia, whose license had expired. Officers eventually released Abrego Garcia with a citation despite their suspicions.
Upon Abrego Garcia’s return, the Trump administration commenced plans to remove him to a “third country.” The U.S. tried to deport him to Uganda and, initially, Costa Rica.
But the new plan is “yet another path that feels designed to inflict maximum hardship,” Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, Abrego Garcia’s attorney, said, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/justice-dept-deport-kilmar-abrego-garcia-to-liberia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to CBS News.
“Their actions are punitive, cruel and unconstitutional,” Sandoval-Moshenberg said. “Unless Liberia guarantees that it will not re-deport Mr. Abrego Garcia to El Salvador, then sending him to Liberia is no less unlawful than sending him directly to El Salvador a second time.”
Abrego Garcia’s wife received a temporary <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/wife-man-mistakenly-deported-el-salvador-filed-2021-protective-order-against-him-kilmar-abrego-garcia/">protective order</a> against him in 2021, alleging her husband beat her on multiple occasions. She has since come to his defense as he faces a second possible deportation.
Abrego Garcia was accused of being a member of MS-13 in a Maryland police report from 2019 and in a 2018 court filing.

Kilmar Abrego Garcia Checks In At Baltimore ICE Office After Release From Jail

Trump Admin Finalizes Plans To Deport Kilmar Abrego Garcia To African Nation

Donald Trump

Kilmar Abrego Garcia

Drone and artillery strikes by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on a shelter in the Sudanese city of Al Fashir killed at least 60 people on Friday night and Saturday morning, according to local activists.
Al-Fashir is under siege by the RSF as it struggles to wrest control of the army&#8217;s last stronghold in the Darfur region.
The siege has spread hunger and disease in the city and relentless drone and artillery strikes have hit displacement shelters, mosques, and hospitals and clinics.
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&#8220;Bodies remain under the rubble, and others were burned alive inside the shelter caravans, children, women, and elderly killed in cold blood, the al-Fashir Resistance Committees said in a statement earlier on Saturday. It said in a later statement that the shelter had been hit twice by drones and eight times by artillery shells.
The resistance committee said hundreds of civilians have been killed by the attacks, and residents who spoke to Reuters said they had dug bunkers into their homes and neighborhoods for protection.
The activist group said the city is losing 30 people on average daily to violence, hunger, and disease.
(Reporting by Nafisa EltahirEditing by Mark Potter and Toby Chopra)

Sudan

At Least 60 Killed After Paramilitary Group Strikes Sudanese Shelter

Drones

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World

Political satirist and self-described liberal, Bill Maher, long an outspoken critic of Christianity, recently caused a firestorm when he put a searing spotlight on the mass murders of Christians in Nigeria, where more Christians are killed than anywhere else in the world.
During the September 26 episode of his HBO show “Real Time with Bill Maher,” the comedian <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/because-the-jews-arent-involved-maher-slams-media-for-ignoring-christian-genocide-in-africa?author=Hank+Berrien&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Because+The+Jews+Aren%E2%80%99t+Involved%E2%80%99%3A+Maher+Slams+Media+For+Ignoring+Christian+Genocide+In+Africa">pointed out the atrocities</a> perpetrated against Nigerian Christians, saying, “They’ve killed over 100,000 since 2009. They’ve burned 18,000 churches,” referring to the violence of Islamists in Nigeria, such as Boko Haram. In his comments, he criticized both the media and pro-Hamas protestors, stating, “This is so much more of a genocide attempt than what is going on in Gaza. Where are kids protesting this?” Surprisingly, and thankfully, his audience erupted into vigorous applause.
His remarks quickly went viral on social media, triggering podcasts and talk shows to highlight the mass murders.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Bill Maher delivers a surprising moment on air as he calls out the slaughter of CHRISTIANS in Nigeria that the media refuses to cover.
“If you don’t know what’s going on in Nigeria, your media sources SUCK,” Maher said.
“You are in a BUBBLE. I’m not a Christian, but they are… <a href="https://t.co/XzDD3LYBPB">pic.twitter.com/XzDD3LYBPB</a>
— Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) <a href="https://twitter.com/VigilantFox/status/1971778531882316036?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @VigilantFox/X.com
I now spend most of my life living in Northern Nigeria, where this genocide is happening. I know firsthand the reality of the gruesome violence against Christians. I have even carried the bodies of my friends who have been murdered. So, I was thrilled to see Maher take valuable airtime to highlight the horrific reality of Nigeria’s Christian genocide.
One of Maher’s more poignant comments came when he stated, “The fact that this issue has not gotten on people’s radar. It’s pretty amazing. If you don’t know what’s going on in Nigeria, your media sources suck. You are in a bubble.” It causes one to ask the very question implied by Maher. Why don’t more people know about what’s going on in Nigeria?
The United States Government, media, and even the American Church seem to be silent on the issue. Indeed, over 100,000 Christians have been slaughtered since 2009. By July of this year, 7,000 more Christians were murdered in cold blood. Currently, thirty Christians are killed every day in Nigeria, thousands of churches are destroyed, hundreds of pastors are abducted, and millions of people are left starving. The silence is deafening. 
An abundance of attention has been given to Gaza, Ukraine, and Iran. So, why is virtually no attention being given to the thousands of Christians who are being murdered every year in Nigeria and the atrocities of Boko Haram and ISWA?
One possible answer is that it may be much easier to bury one’s head in the sand than to deal with the problem. That has been the approach of recent administrations in the United States. In 2021, the Biden Administration inexplicably removed Nigeria from the State Department’s “Country of Particular Concern” list. When the State Department offered its report on religious freedom, the following year, Nigeria was not even mentioned. Outrageously, at the same time, Christians were being killed by the thousands, and the genocide was in full swing. President Biden even ignored a resolution from the House Foreign Affairs Committee calling for immediate intervention in Nigeria. With that, a precedent was set, and the United States government refused even to acknowledge that the problem existed. It has yet to be seen if the Trump administration will recognize this genocide or continue to ignore it. 
<div id="attachment_790095" style="width: 849px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-790095" class="size-large wp-image-790095" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-1204495232-839x576.jpg" alt="Christians faithfuls hold signs as they march on the streets of Abuja during a prayer and penance for peace and security in Nigeria in Abuja on March 1, 2020. - The Catholic Bishops of Nigeria gathered faithfuls as well as other Christians and other people to pray for security and to denounce the barbaric killings of Christians by the Boko Haram insurgents and the incessant cases of kidnapping for ransom in Nigeria. (Photo by Kola SULAIMON / AFP)" width="839" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-1204495232-839x576.jpg 839w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-1204495232-300x206.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-1204495232-768x527.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/GettyImages-1204495232.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 839px) 100vw, 839px" />Credit: Photo by KOLA SULAIMON/AFP via Getty Images.</div>
In the media, there is a dark pattern concerning genocides. During World War II, many German citizens knew what was happening in the death camps. Although some reports of the mass killing of Jews were being circulated in the American media, it was not given nearly the attention it deserved. But rather than blow the whistle and investigate the claims, the American media remained largely silent. The same thing happened with the killing fields of Cambodia and the Rwandan genocide. During both events, the United States and the world stayed quiet and did nothing of consequence.
A genocide is the deliberate and planned attempt to destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. <a href="https://www.un.org/en/academic-impact/origins-genocide">According to the UN</a>, what we learn from history is that genocides can last for decades without shocking the conscience of the world. While the killing is happening, very few speak out. Ironically, when the genocides are over, we make movies about them. It’s far easier to deal with the aftermath than it is to face the actual atrocities.
The most shameful has been the silence of the American church. We are the wealthiest and most influential nation in the world. It has the resources, reach, and influence to raise awareness and compel the faith community to get involved. The American church has the means to sway people, lawmakers, and the media, and urge them to take action. Unfortunately, it has followed suit and remained oddly quiet. The Bible teaches us that it is our job to bring light to the hidden things of darkness (Eph. 5:11-14). If we refuse, how can we possibly expect anyone else to act?
I am grateful that Bill Maher was courageous enough to speak out on the Nigerian genocide, prompting a worldwide conversation. It shows us what one liberal, atheist comedian, who makes a 47-second comment, can do. Imagine the impact if all of us did the same.
* * *
<a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/ourfounder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brad Brandon</a> is the founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Across Nigeria</a>. Since 2018, he has been actively serving in predominantly high-risk, highly persecuted areas like Northern Nigeria and other parts of West Africa.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

MixCollage-02-Oct-2025-10-26-AM-4770

Bill Maher Exposes Nigeria’s Christian Genocide In 47 Seconds

Nancy Mace

As conditions in northern Nigeria continue to deteriorate, the U.S. State Department inexplicably approved a potential sale of <a href="https://www.dsca.mil/Press-Media/Major-Arms-Sales/Article-Display/Article/4273754/nigeria-munitions-precision-bombs-and-precision-rockets">$346 million</a> in arms to the Nigerian military. The multimillion-dollar deal comes as northern Nigeria further descends into violent turmoil as killings, kidnappings, and raids continue to destabilize communities throughout the region.
After years of <a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/">working in the region</a>, I&#8217;ve seen arms deals like this before. They rarely, if ever, work. In fact, they often make things worse. The U.S. has a terrible habit of assuming money or weapons can resolve every conflict, while ignoring the unique cultural and historical factors that created the problem in the first place.
The Nigerian government indeed needs assistance in providing and maintaining security. Terrorist groups like Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP), Boko Haram, and a host of factional bandit groups have successfully destabilized nearly the entire northern territory of the country. The Nigerian military is ill-equipped to deal with these challenges.
The International Society for Civil Liberties has calculated that more than <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/christians-killed-nigeria-religion-2116416">7,000 Christians were killed</a> during the first 220 days of 2025. Although the violence is predominantly focused on the Christian community, Muslims are suffering at the hands of these extremist groups, too. Just this month, armed extremists entered a mosque in northern Nigeria and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/bandits-kill-least-27-northern-nigeria-mosque-attack-officials-say-2025-08-19/">killed 27 worshippers</a>. This year is already the deadliest in recent memory, and by year&#8217;s end, it will very likely be the deadliest ever in Nigeria’s history.
In the face of rising violence and extremism, from 2000 to 2021, the U.S. State Department dumped $232 million in “<a href="https://watson.brown.edu/chrhs/files/chrhs/imce/partnerships/Civ-Mil/Nigeria-May-2022-Factsheet.pdf">security sector assistance</a>,” $593 million in foreign military sales, and $305 million in “direct commercial sales” from private companies into Nigeria. All in an effort to stop the rise of terrorism and suppress newly formed terrorist groups, including Boko Haram.
Did it work? Absolutely not.
Since Boko Haram’s formation in 2002, they have only grown in strength and numbers. What started as a handful of extremists with Jihadi ideals to rid northern Nigeria of anything western has grown into an army of thousands. And while the U.S. was still throwing money and weapons at the problem, another, more menacing group was forming. In 2015, ISWAP was born when a group within Boko Haram defected and pledged its allegiance to ISIS. This group has grown into an army of 20,000.
While both Republican and Democratic administrations and Congresses tried to solve the problem with money and arms, the problem only grew. 
By the end of 2020, an estimated <a href="https://www.genocidewatch.com/single-post/nigeria-s-silent-slaughter-62-000-christians-murdered-since-2000">60,000 people were directly killed</a> by the violence of these two groups alone. And according to a 2021 report by the United Nations Development Programme, the insurgency had <a href="https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/migration/ng/Assessing-the-Impact-of-Conflict-on-Development-in-NE-Nigeria---The-Report.pdf">caused the death of 350,000 people</a> from the conflict’s indirect consequences (like lack of food, healthcare, etc).
Anyone looking at the policy of selling arms to Nigeria would be hard pressed to say, “Job well done.”
Arms sales to Nigeria are a debacle for two reasons. First, Nigeria is notorious for its corruption. Corruption is woven into the very fabric of Nigeria’s culture. As quickly as the U.S. sends money and arms, the resources are often diverted from their intended destination.
In 2016, <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/nigerian-military-some-officers-selling-arms-to-boko-haram/3493038.html">Nigeria’s military was forced to admit</a> that many of its officers were selling arms and ammunition to Boko Haram and fraudulently diverting hundreds of millions of dollars budgeted to help suppress the insurgency. One four-star general was even accused of <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/nigerian-military-some-officers-selling-arms-to-boko-haram/3493038.html">skimming $24 million</a> to build a shopping center in Abuja. He was relieved of his command but never convicted.
For a State Department that seems set on getting rid of fraud, waste, and abuse, I don’t think sending unsupervised money and weapons to Nigeria is a wise step in the right direction.
Secondly, the Nigerian military has been known to make serious mistakes that cost innocent lives. The <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0y30766kjo">latest example</a> happened in May, when the Nigerian Air Force bombed a local self-defense group, mistaking them for insurgents. Ironically, the <a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/nigeria/">State Department&#8217;s Annual Human Rights Report</a> warning that Nigerian air strikes kill civilians was released the same week the department approved the latest weapons sale.
The reality is this: Nigeria needs help to suppress the growth of terrorist groups in the north and they cannot fight stone-cold killers with peace signs and flowers.
However, this is an extremely complex problem, and the solution is not unilateral. It will take a multi-layered approach to see any degree of success. Any funding and weapons should never be approved without a plan for oversight and strict accountability – something that has never been part of our weapons aid in the past.
I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I know <a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/">northern Nigeria</a>. I know the language, the culture, and the people. And one thing I am sure of is that if all the U.S. is prepared to do is throw guns, ammunition, and money at the problem, we will only get more of the same.
* * *
<a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/ourfounder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brad Brandon</a> is the founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Across Nigeria</a>. Since 2018, he has been actively serving in predominantly high-risk, highly persecuted areas like Northern Nigeria and other parts of West Africa.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

military equipment ammunition and camouflage uniform

Why The Latest U.S. Arms Deal With Nigeria Will Only Fuel More Violence

Federal Government

Military Weapons

Opinion

State Department

What is being called a “silent genocide” in Africa has reportedly included ISIS-aligned forces beheading Christians in Mozambique.
“The Islamic State &#8211; Mozambique Province (ISMP) recently released 20 photos boasting of four attacks on &#8216;Christian villages&#8217; in the Chiure district, in <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/world-regions/africa">Mozambique&#8217;s northern</a> Cabo Delgado province, according to MEMRI,” Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/isis-soldiers-behead-christians-mozambique-burning-church-homes-silent-genocide">reported</a>. “The images also allegedly depict the beheadings of a member of what the jihadists consider ‘infidel militias’ and two Christian civilians. Rampaging jihadist groups celebrated the killings.”
Islamic State Mozambique Province fighters allegedly captured and beheaded six Christians in the village of Natocua in the Ancuabe district of Mozambique&#8217;s Cabo Delgado Province on July 22, according to MEMRI.
The U.S. State Department designated ISMP as a foreign terrorist organization in 2021.
“What we see in Africa today is a kind of silent genocide or silent, brutal, savage war that is occurring in the shadows and all too often ignored by the international community,” MEMRI Vice President Alberto Miguel Fernandez stated to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/isis-soldiers-behead-christians-mozambique-burning-church-homes-silent-genocide">Fox News Digital</a>. “The fact that jihadist groups are in a position to take over not one, not two, but several countries in Africa – take over the whole country or most of several countries – is dangerous. It&#8217;s very dangerous for the national security of the United States, let alone the security of the poor people who are there – Christians or Muslims or whoever they are.”
“The goal is eliminating Christian communities,” he continued. “Yes. Completely. Basically with these jihadist groups, they push down from safe havens that they have; they want to eliminate all the Christians in that area, take that over and keep pushing, keep pushing as far as they can go. Non-Christians, say, the Muslim population &#8230; are given a choice: either join us or you too will face killing and annihilation. Christians, of course, are not going to be asked to join; Christians are going to be targeted and destroyed.”
Fernandez has previously served as director of the Office of Press and Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department, as well as Coordinator for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications (CSCC) at the State Department.
The United Nations reported that there was mass displacement of citizens occurring, but did not specify who was responsible, <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/08/1165560">stating</a>, “According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<a href="https://www.unocha.org/" data-extlink="">OCHA</a>), attacks by armed groups between 20 and 28 July triggered the displacement of at least 46,667 people across the districts of Chiúre, Ancuabe and Muidumbe. Chiúre was the hardest hit, with more than 42,000 people uprooted – over half of them children.”
“I&#8217;m no fan of the United Nations in general, but I think what they&#8217;re doing is kind of the lowest common denominator,&#8221; Fernandez said. “It&#8217;s kind of easy to be vague like that. The fact that some of this and some of the worst of it is happening because of a deep anti-Christian animus, hatred of Christians, religiously-based hatred of Christians is something that the UN usually doesn&#8217;t like to talk about.”
Passionist missionary Father Kwiriwi Fonseca in Mozambique sent a <a href="https://www.churchinneed.org/christians-are-suffering-greatly-in-mozambique-says-passionist-priest/">message</a> saying, “All the newly displaced mentioned having fled because of direct attacks on their villages, involving looting, arson, kidnappings, and selective murders &#8230; many Christians are suffering. Some chapels have also been burned, as have their houses. The social projects no longer work, and the people are in despair.”

MOZAMBIQUE-UNREST

‘Silent Genocide’: ISIS Forces Behead Christians In Mozambique Terror Campaign

‘Silent Genocide’: ISIS Forces Behead Christians in Mozambique Terror Campaign

Mozambique

Terrorism

More than 40 Christians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo were killed by Islamic militants early Sunday morning, according to reports from multiple Christian organizations and the United Nations.
The victims, including at least nine children, were holding a prayer vigil as part of a summer holiday session in the early morning hours in the city of Komanda when they were attacked by the Allied Democratic Forces, a radical Islamic rebel group with ties to the Islamic State, <a href="https://www.churchinneed.org/dozens-killed-in-another-church-massacre-in-dr-congo/">according</a> to Aid to the Church in Need.
&#8220;The attack occurred at around 1 o’clock in the morning. The rebels entered the church and murdered a large number of children, both inside the church building and in the compound,&#8221; said Fr. Marcelo Oliveira, a longtime missionary in the Congo.
Islamic militants set fire to homes and shops in Komanda before fleeing. The terrorists were gone by the time the government forces arrived. According to the United Nations peacekeeping mission, 43 people were killed in the attack, including 19 women and nine children, the BBC <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ezjg34lw4o">reported</a>. The Congolese military said that the insurgents used machetes in their attack, adding, &#8220;These terrorists have decided to take revenge on defenseless peaceful populations to spread terror.&#8221;
The attack is yet another example of the extreme persecution faced by Christians at the hands of Islamic extremists in the Congo and other African nations. In February, 70 Christians were found <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/70-christians-beheaded-in-congo-church?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=70+Christians+Beheaded+In+Congo+Church">beheaded</a> in a church after they were attacked by militants with the Allied Democratic Forces. Last month, around 200 Christians in Nigeria were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/terrible-massacre-hundreds-of-christians-killed-by-jihadists?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=%E2%80%98Terrible+Massacre%E2%80%99%3A+Hundreds+Of+Christians+Killed+By+Jihadists">killed</a> by jihadists who stormed a predominantly Catholic farming community and set fire to homes.
Christian persecution in Africa receives little to no <a href="https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=a19e3038bac685ef&amp;rlz=1C5GCCM_en&amp;q=congo+christians+killed&amp;tbm=nws&amp;source=lnms&amp;fbs=AIIjpHxU7SXXniUZfeShr2fp4giZrjP_Cx0LI1Ytb_FGcOviEiTm5uW1q0uNfK7KsnoL8hUyUYUJLZ_b-p0lT09DIkR7RtNt-9R1f9Pbq4mdMMyxSelEHHADgzBCNx7-1ORi0KJWiwbiRKhaJlqpDHUl2dNr8G5XPk2ywt6RaMo8S7jdrN1-wsMK-NpRx3wHhwRUuCDXYdA01GXeONWxb0oGcT8AZCQ6oA&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjq1cau0-KOAxXnk2oFHV7JBBkQ0pQJegQIFRAB&amp;biw=1440&amp;bih=778&amp;dpr=2">coverage</a> in the legacy news media despite the constant threats and violence faced by people of faith. According to the Christian group <a href="https://www.opendoorsuk.org/news/latest-news/drc-attack-church/">Open Doors</a>, 355 Christians in the Congo were killed in 2024, an increase from 261 in 2023.
The Congo remains a completely volatile political landscape with factions and rebel groups fighting for control of multiple regions. The fighting has resulted in more than 100,000 Congolese people getting <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/02/1160006">displaced</a>, the United Nations reported in February.

Christians in Congo

Islamic Militants Slaughter Dozens Of Christians During Prayer Vigil

Christianity

Congo

Crime

Persecution

Radical Islamic Terror

New York City is not only poised to have its first Muslim mayor but also its first mayor who blatantly refuses to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggV2SeiGrVw">condemn</a> the widely used motto “Globalize the Intifada.”
When asked three times on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the Ugandan-born, democratic socialist assemblyman from Queens, Zohran Mamdani, refused to condemn the appalling call for violence. This should, at the very least, be unsettling for New Yorkers and Americans alike.
Not only is the call for intifada a petition for violence, but it is also a call for the installation of Islamic rule. One of the tenets of the Intifada is the complete installation of Sharia Law. For those who care about human rights, few things should cause more concern than the implementation of Sharia Law. To put it mildly, Sharia Law’s track record on human rights is far from stellar. Nearly all of the 35 countries that have adopted Sharia Law are on the <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/map-shows-countries-human-rights-watchlist-us-2043007">Human Rights Watch list</a> at “closed” or “repressed” levels – the two most at-risk categories. Also, countries with Sharia law make up nearly half the countries designated as <a href="https://www.uscirf.gov/countries/2025-recommendations">“Countries of Particular Concern”</a> on the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom’s list.
What’s even more alarming is the exponential growth of Sharia Law around the globe. In 1980, Saudi Arabia was the only country that officially applied Sharia Law. By 2000, that number had risen to 16. Currently, more than 35 of the 195 countries in the world have incorporated Sharia Law in their legal systems.
Sharia Law enforces Islamic principles in civil and criminal matters, guided by the subjective interpretations of the mostly male Islamic scholars (called Fiqhs), formalized through consensus (called Ijmas). It governs issues like apostasy, blasphemy, alcohol consumption, stealing, adultery, homosexuality, and forced marriages. Punishments, known as Hadud, vary but are severe in strict Quran-adhering regions and range from death for apostasy, blasphemy, or homosexuality; caning (often 40 lashes) for alcohol or drug use; hand amputation for theft; and stoning, flogging, or genital mutilation for other offenses.
These are the realities of Sharia Law when fully applied.
As the founder of <a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/">a mission</a> working in the remote and dangerous <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-silent-slaughter-inside-nigerias-christian-persecution-crisis?author=Brad+Brandon&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Silent+Slaughter%3A+Inside+Nigeria%E2%80%99s+Christian+Persecution+Crisis">northern region of Nigeria</a>, I have seen the horrific impacts Sharia Law has on people. I have spent nearly a third of my adult life in areas that impose strict interpretations of the Quran and regularly enforce the cruel punishments of Sharia Law.
Years ago, I saw a young man flogged 40 times in a village for using drugs, his guilt vaguely established. Sharia’s standards of proof are low compared to modern legal systems. Later, I met an older man with both hands amputated for stealing – once in his youth, then again while struggling with hunger, in a country where people barely earn enough money to feed themselves. Others I know face life in brutal prisons for apostasy or blasphemy. Sharia’s punishments – flogging, amputation, imprisonment – deliver severe consequences that should make anyone concerned about basic human rights shudder.
Sharia Law has little to no regard for human rights and almost never shows mercy to those who trespass its pretenses, including women and children.
Sharia Law’s emergence in states with rising Muslim populations, like my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6QC_qEyl0Q">home state of Minnesota</a>, worries me. In the U.S., Sharia currently operates through local councils that mediate disputes and personal matters within Muslim communities, always under state and federal laws.
Yet, challenges arise. In 2009, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Joseph Charles relied on a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/advocates-of-anti-shariah-measures-alarmed-by-judges-ruling">family’s Imam</a> in a spousal abuse case, denying the woman a protective order. Though an appellate court overturned the ruling, this case reveals Sharia’s potential to influence U.S. legal systems, extending beyond community guidelines and testing national authority.
In Europe, there is no greater example of Sharia Law’s infiltration than in the United Kingdom. The U.K. is now being called the <a href="https://www.gbnews.com/news/britain-sharia-law-courts-western-capital">“western capital” of Sharia Law</a>, with more than 85 “councils” operating across the country. These Islamic councils have become a blatant assault on human rights, particularly against women and children. Under Sharia Law, a woman’s testimony is worth half of a man’s. This discrimination has far-reaching effects in matters of spousal abuse, divorce, child custody, and financial matters just to name a few. According to these Sharia councils, a woman’s right to divorce is heavily restricted, whereas a man’s right to divorce is unilateral. These kinds of discrimination are illegal in the government and workplaces in the U.K. But when it comes to Sharia Law they are promoted.
The most alarming aspect of this is that under the <a href="https://lawandreligionuk.com/2012/10/24/sharia-law-the-arbitration-act-1996-and-the-arbitration-and-mediation-services-equality-bill/">U.K.’s Arbitration Act</a>, the rulings of these Sharia councils are precedent rulings and are being used in the British courts. This is happening across Europe. In so much that the Council of Europe has <a href="https://eclj.org/religious-freedom/pace/le-conseil-de-leurope-sinquite-grandement-de-lapplication-de-la-charia-en-europe?lng=en">issued a report </a>stating they are “greatly concerned” by the application of Sharia Law in Europe, specifically listing the U.K., Greece, Germany, and Chechnya. This imposition of Sharia Law has even created enough concern in the U.S. that <a href="https://www.mapsofworld.com/answers/united-states/states-outlawed-sharia-law/">16 states have passed legislation banning Sharia Law,</a> and more than two dozen have anti-Sharia bills introduced.
It&#8217;s not hyperbole or hysterics to be concerned about the imposition of Sharia Law and its inhumane practices in the United States. All one has to do is look at the scores of Western countries that have opened the door to it. In every case, human rights are being trampled and disregarded. It’s not at all unreasonable for every American to be concerned when the Democratic nominee of the nation’s largest city is a man who will not condemn the idea of a global intifada and its assault on human rights through the spread of Sharia Law.
* * *
<a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/ourfounder" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brad Brandon</a> is the founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Across Nigeria</a>. Since 2018, he has been actively serving in predominantly high-risk, highly persecuted areas like Northern Nigeria and other parts of West Africa.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Lantern that have moon symbol on top with blurred focus of paper cut for mosque shape background.

The Global Rise Of Sharia Law And Mamdani’s ‘Intifada’ Silence

The Global Rise Of Sharia Law And Mamdani’s 'Intifada' Silence

Europe

New York City

Sharia Law

United Kingdom

New York City&#8217;s Democratic Mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani does not consider himself to be black — but that did not stop him from checking the &#8220;African-American&#8221; box in addition to the &#8220;Asian&#8221; box on his application to attend Columbia University.
The New York Times revealed the information — discovered through a hack of the university and then shared with the outlet — in a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/03/nyregion/mamdani-columbia-black-application.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Tk8.dq-_.OgG4Ktak82Hp&amp;smid=url-share">report</a> published on Thursday afternoon, just ahead of the July 4th holiday weekend.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
GIFT LINK: SCOOP: Mamdani Identified as Asian and African American on College Application
I report with <a href="https://twitter.com/danarubinstein?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DanaRubinstein</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/npfandos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NPFandos</a> for <a href="https://twitter.com/nytimes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYTimes</a><a href="https://t.co/pV7xvNYprB">https://t.co/pV7xvNYprB</a>
&mdash; Benjamin Ryan (@benryanwriter) <a href="https://twitter.com/benryanwriter/status/1940887033804624378?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Though both of his parents are of Indian descent, Mamdani was born in Uganda and spent his early childhood there. He has said that he considers himself &#8220;an American who was born in Africa,&#8221; not black or African American — and instead, he has leaned in to his South Asian ancestry and his Muslim faith.
&#8220;As the first South Asian elected official, the first Muslim elected official to ever run for mayor, the turnout in those same communities has been incredible to see,&#8221; he said after besting disgraced former Governor Andrew Cuomo in the primary.
<a class="c-link" href="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://get.dailywire.com/freedom/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=freedom&amp;utm_content=freedomeditorial" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-2388">JULY 4 SALE: Get Six Months Of DW+ Free</a>
But, as the hacked data revealed, he did consider himself African American for the purpose of his application to Columbia — and he admitted he&#8217;d done the same on other college applications. His explanation was that the available selections did not paint a complete picture of who he was.
&#8220;Most college applications don’t have a box for Indian-Ugandans, so I checked multiple boxes trying to capture the fullness of my background,” he said. “Even though these boxes are constraining, I wanted my college application to reflect who I was.&#8221;
The Times even appeared to cast doubt on Mamdani&#8217;s motivation:
<blockquote>Columbia, like many elite universities, used a race-conscious affirmative action admissions program at the time. Reporting that his race was Black or African American in addition to Asian could have given an advantage to Mr. Mamdani, who was born in Uganda and spent his earliest years there.</blockquote>
In addition, the Times pressed Mamdani on whether he&#8217;d ever identified as African American on any other occasion: &#8220;The Times could not find any speeches or interviews in which Mr. Mamdani referred to himself as Black or African American.&#8221; Mamdani said that outside of college applications, he could not recall ever doing so.

New York City Mayoral Candidates Campaign Ahead Of Primary Election

Mamdani Said He Was ‘African American’ On Columbia University Application

Mamdani Said He Was 'African American' On Columbia University Application

Elections

Politics

Uganda

Zohran Mamdani

A Washington, D.C., judge on Tuesday said President Donald Trump did not have the authority to name the leader of a small, USAID-like agency after an African company sued, citing the hardship of having to lay off its workers.
Judge Richard J. Leon ruled that Trump appointee Pete Marocco, who oversaw the demolition of USAID, was not validly appointed to the African Development Foundation, where he played a similar role, and, therefore, had no authority to terminate grants.
The ruling came in response to a lawsuit brought by a consulting firm in Zambia, called Rural Development Innovations Limited, represented by lawyers from the left-wing American group Democracy Forward.
Trump fired the entirety of the African Development Foundation&#8217;s board, and the agency locked its doors to prevent Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employees from gaining access to its books. One of the fired board members sued, but Judge Leon tossed that lawsuit, affirming that the president had the right to fire board members.
In this second lawsuit, though, Leon indicated that Trump likely did not have the power to determine who runs the agency in the board members&#8217; absence. Under the legislation establishing the Foundation, the president nominates board members, but they must be confirmed by the Senate.
Marocco had been named &#8220;acting&#8221; chairman of the board. The chief role of the board is to appoint a president who runs day-to-day operations, and Marocco appointed himself.
The Trump administration <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.280789/gov.uscourts.dcd.280789.12.0.pdf">argued</a> that &#8220;because the Federal Vacancies Act does not apply to the Foundation, the President has the inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to designate acting members of the Foundation Board until the Senate confirms his nominees to fill full terms&#8230; The President must be able to designate acting officials to fulfill his duty.&#8221;
It is unclear how Leon believes the management of the federal agency should be chosen, since he acknowledges that the agency has no board. The African Development Foundation&#8217;s previous president, Travis Adkins, who was accused of anti-white racism and abuse of employees, resigned before the DOGE takeover.
After Adkins&#8217;s resignation, the role was filled by a committee of the agency&#8217;s three top employees, including Chief Financial Officer Mathieu Zahui. The USAID inspector general presented evidence in court in November 2024 that Zahui steered contracts to a friend in exchange for kickbacks, but he has so far not been criminally charged.
If the group&#8217;s staff is reinstated and its top management structure restored, that would put the subject of a criminal investigation in charge of an agency, instead of the president&#8217;s appointee.
Rural Development Innovations Limited &#8220;offers clients broad expertise in financial management, enterprise development, organizational capacity development, strategy development and implementation, project management, marketing and market access development,&#8221; its lawyers <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.280789/gov.uscourts.dcd.280789.1.0_1.pdf">wrote</a>.
Yet it doesn&#8217;t actually have any clients except the United States government. They added: &#8220;RDI receives 100% of its funding from USADF and has been awarded a USADF grant that continues through 2028. Yet in April 2025, RDI received notice from Pete Marocco that its grant was being terminated immediately because RDI somehow no longer satisfied USADF’s priorities. As a result, RDI will be forced to shut down entirely by the end of June 2025.&#8221;
Judge Leon wrote that &#8220;RDI has shown irreparable injury&#8230; Traditionally, &#8216;economic loss does not, in and of itself constitute irreparable harm,'&#8221; but an &#8220;exception exists when &#8216;the loss threatens the very existence of the movant&#8217;s business.&#8221; That exception applied because RDI had no customers other than the United States government. RDI argued that America had an obligation not to terminate its funding because Zambian law requires the payment of severance to laid-off employees, which it could not afford to do.
Two African Development Foundation employees were also plaintiffs in the lawsuit. But, unlike the African company, the American workers had no recourse, the judge <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.280789/gov.uscourts.dcd.280789.26.0.pdf">ruled</a>.
Leon wrote that &#8220;RDI requests that the Court preliminarily enjoin all defendants&#8211;including the President of the United States.&#8221; The court does not have the power to enjoin the president, he wrote, but the <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.280789/gov.uscourts.dcd.280789.27.0.pdf">injunction</a> blocks Marocco &#8220;from taking actions as the acting chairperson of the United States African Development Foundation&#8217;s board of directors and president,&#8221; and White House, Treasury, and Department of Government Efficiency officials, from &#8220;implementing or giving effect to directives from Marocco.&#8221;
An injunction is a temporary order that gives relief to one side while a final resolution is pending. It is given when the judge believes a party is likely to win the case and will suffer harm in the meantime if it has to wait months.
Typically, a party seeking an injunction is supposed to post a monetary bond that would be used to compensate the opposing party if that party ultimately wins the case. The Trump administration has highlighted the role that such bonds would play in preventing groups from seeking endless injunctions by giving them skin in the game.
But courts have &#8220;discretion&#8230;to determine the appropriate amount of an injunction bond,&#8221; Judge Leon wrote, and he would require no bond at all from the African group, since the Trump administration has &#8220;not argued that they will suffer monetary loss if the Court were to issue an injunction.&#8221;
A four-part Daily Wire series documented significant ethical and financial problems at the African Development Foundation, which former employees said was likely the reason it was so opposed to scrutiny by DOGE:
PART ONE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/foreign-aid-official-who-resisted-doge-took-secret-payments-after-steering-africa-money-to-friend?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Foreign+Aid+Official+Who+Resisted+DOGE+Took+Secret+Payments+After+Steering+Africa+Money+To+Friend%C2%A0">Foreign Aid Official Who Resisted DOGE Took Secret Payments After Steering Africa Money To Friend </a>
PART TWO: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/african-aid-agency-used-foreign-pass-throughs-to-hide-money-that-went-to-d-c-staff-friends?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=African+Aid+Agency+Used+Foreign+Pass-Throughs+To+Hide+Money+That+Went+To+D.C.+Staff%2C+Friends" target="_blank" rel="noopener">African Aid Agency Used Foreign Pass-Throughs To Hide Money That Went To D.C. Staff</a>
PART THREE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aid-agency-pushed-officials-for-profit-pyramid-scheme-on-poor-africans?author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Aid+Agency+Pushed+Official%E2%80%99s+For-Profit+Pyramid+Scheme+On+Poor+Africans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Aid Agency Pushed Official’s For-Profit Pyramid Scheme On Poor Africans</a>
PART FOUR: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/them-white-motherf-ers-racist-agency-framed-its-lawyer-after-he-discovered-lawbreaking-he-says?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Luke+Rosiak&amp;category=Investigation&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=%E2%80%98Them+White+Motherf-ers%E2%80%99%3A+Racist+Agency+Framed+Its+Lawyer+After+He+Discovered+Lawbreaking%2C+He+Says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">‘Them White Motherf-ers’: Racist Agency Framed Its Lawyer After He Discovered Lawbreaking, He Says</a>

Mathieu Zahui, chief financial officer of the African Development Foundation

Judge Orders Foreign Aid Agency Resurrected After African Company Sues

Judges

USAID

Over the past 10 years, Northern Nigeria has quickly risen to the top of the list as the most dangerous place to be a Christian. More Christians are killed here than anywhere else in the world.
The data show us that it’s not by slim margins. According to International Christian Concern, in 2022, <a href="https://www.persecution.org/2023/09/11/90-percent-of-the-5500-christians-killed-in-2022-were-nigerian/">90%</a> of all Christians killed in the world were killed in Nigeria. Last year, that number was around <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/261571/nigeria-tops-report-for-number-of-christians-killed-kidnapped-in-2024#:~:text=The%20World%20Watch%20List%2C%20released,countries%20in%20the%20same%20year.">70%</a>.
The persecution of Christians in Northern Nigeria has quickly evolved into a full-on genocide. But how did this happen? How did the region become a stronghold for this violence against those who follow Christ?
Most of the region is a virtual “wild west” of Africa, leaving Northern Nigeria largely unchecked with a sparse military presence. The geography, coupled with a rise in Islamic extremism, has allowed groups like Boko Haram and ISIS-WA (ISWAP) to flourish unimpeded.
<div id="attachment_74449" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-74449" class="wp-image-74449 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2019/12/ISIS-Truck-1024x576.jpg" alt="A vehicle allegedly belonging to the Islamic State group in West Africa (ISWAP) is seen in Baga on August 2, 2019. - Intense fighting between a regional force and the Islamic State group in West Africa (ISWAP) has resulted in dozens of deaths, including at least 25 soldiers and more than 40 jihadists, in northeastern Nigeria. ISWAP broke away from Boko Haram in 2016 in part due to its rejection of indiscriminate attacks on civilians. Last year the group witnessed a reported takeover by more hardline fighters who sidelined its leader and executed his deputy. The IS-affiliate has since July 2018 ratcheted up a campaign of attacks against military targets." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2019/12/ISIS-Truck-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2019/12/ISIS-Truck-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2019/12/ISIS-Truck-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />A vehicle allegedly belonging to the Islamic State group in West Africa (ISWAP) is seen in Baga on August 2, 2019. AUDU MARTE/AFP via Getty Images</div>
According to the most <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1197570/deaths-caused-by-boko-haram-in-nigeria/">recent statistics</a>, Boko Haram alone is responsible for the deaths of 38,000 people between 2011 and 2023. Their growth has been so staggering that it has essentially overwhelmed the Nigerian government’s attempts to stop it. In 2023, I witnessed Nigerian soldiers walk off the job when ordered to fight Boko Haram militants. They told me that fighting Boko Haram was a suicide mission. These terrorist groups keep the people of northern Nigeria in a constant state of fear. They yield this fear skillfully to maintain control. While I truly believe Nigerian President Bola Tinubu wants to see change in the region, his government is outnumbered and outgunned.
Another equally devastating contributor to the problem is the ethnic conflict between Fulani Muslims (herders) and Christians (farmers). While this is not “terrorism” in the traditional sense of Islamic Jihad, the results are no less deadly. There are approximately 17 million Fulani Muslims in Nigeria. Most Fulani are nomadic and predominantly raise cattle to maintain their livelihood. In this region, Christians have largely settled and sustain themselves by planting crops. As the Fulani migrate their cattle over vast distances, those cattle often wander into the farm fields of Christians, destroying their crops. While some Fulani Muslims have been radicalized, the herder vs. farmer crisis is overwhelmingly the result of tensions over land.
<div id="attachment_939751" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-939751" class="size-large wp-image-939751" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1257123144-864x576.jpg" alt="TOPSHOT - A Fulani pastoralist rests at a water point in Loumbel Lana, Matam region on May 19, 2023. For pastoralist the extreme heats direct effect is that their livestock drink double what they usually do. Usually one sheep will drink around 2,5 litres of water a day, now they need 4 or 5 litres a day. Pastoralists now need to get to water points multiple times a day (up to 20km away) and spend double the money buying water. Since April the region of Matam has regularly been flagged as the hottest place on earth with temperatures reaching 48 degrees celsius in the shade and fifties in direct sun. (Photo by JOHN WESSELS / AFP) (Photo by JOHN WESSELS/AFP via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1257123144-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1257123144-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1257123144-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/06/GettyImages-1257123144.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />JOHN WESSELS/AFP via Getty Images</div>
For years, I have brokered peace agreements between hundreds of Fulani Muslim and Christian communities. In nearly every case I have worked, the root cause of the conflict boils down to violence that arose from cattle destroying crops. And that violence is not one-sided. Christians have retaliated for the destruction of their crops; however, more often than not, these conflicts result in an inordinate number of Christian deaths.
The most recent example is the massacre of nearly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/terrible-massacre-hundreds-of-christians-killed-by-jihadists">200 Christians</a> that happened on <a href="https://www.genocidewatch.com/single-post/fulani-jihadists-massacre-over-200-christians-in-nigeria">June 14, 2025</a>. As a result of Nigeria’s diminishing areas for cattle grazing, the Fulani Muslims attacked Christians as a means to claim land for their cattle to graze. Further evidence is that every dry season, when access to good feeding grounds is at its lowest, there is a surge of violence between the Fulani herders and Christian farmers.
Northern Nigeria, like much of Africa, is gripped by severe socio-economic challenges that fuel instability and hardship. Most people in Northern Nigeria live on the equivalent of a little more than <a href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/current-affairs/2024/08/20/majority-of-workers-in-nigerias-largest-city-earn-below-62-50-monthly-report-reveals/">$1 USD per day</a>. Currently, a <a href="https://maypatronic.com/bag-of-rice-in-nigeria/#:~:text=in%20the%20market.-,Price%20Ranges,such%20as%20region%20and%20quality.">10kg (22-pound) bag of rice costs about $35 USD</a>. People barely earn enough to feed themselves. The <a href="https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/nga/nigeria/inflation-rate-cpi#:~:text=Nigeria%20inflation%20rate%20for%202023,a%201.85%25%20increase%20from%202019.">annual inflation rate is around 24%</a>, which drives the cost of food higher and higher. <a href="https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/25-million-nigerians-high-risk-food-insecurity-2023">UNICEF has placed Nigeria on its crisis list</a>, stating that over 25 million people are at high risk of food insecurity. These conditions have created an environment that keeps people in a perpetual state of survival.
But how do dire socio-economic conditions contribute to Christian persecution?
<div id="attachment_168513" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-168513" class="wp-image-168513 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/11/BH-1024x576.jpg" alt="TOPSHOT - Mourners attend the funeral of 43 farm workers in Zabarmari, about 20km from Maiduguri, Nigeria, on November 29, 2020 after they were killed by Boko Haram fighters in rice fields near the village of Koshobe on November 28, 2020. - The assailants tied up the agricultural workers and slit their throats in the village of Koshobe. The victims were labourers from Sokoto state in northwest Nigeria, roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) away, who had travelled to the northeast to find work." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/11/BH-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/11/BH-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/11/BH-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/11/BH-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/11/BH-2048x1152.jpg 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />TOPSHOT &#8211; Mourners attend the funeral of 43 farm workers in Zabarmari, about 20km from Maiduguri, Nigeria, on November 29, 2020 after they were killed by Boko Haram fighters. AUDU MARTE/AFP via Getty Images.</div>
Inflation and food shortages exacerbate the conflict between Fulani Muslim herders and Christian farmers because, to them, every day is a desperate fight for survival. Tensions over grazing land — the source of sustenance for both the herders and farmers — run at a fever pitch. These socio-economic conditions are also the reason why so many young men are drawn to radical Islamic groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP. Not only do these groups provide a support system, but they also pay well for people willing to follow their orders and commit violent acts. I’ve heard reports of Boko Haram paying their fighters $100 USD for the successful execution of a single act of terrorism. That’s a small fortune in this part of the world.
The desperate conditions of Northern Nigeria are the fuel that keeps the fire of persecution burning.
These are complex problems in a complex part of the world. That’s why, at <a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/">Across Nigeria</a>, we are driven by a powerful mission: not only to uplift suffering Christians but also to extend Christ’s love to Muslims. Through our network of primary schools across Northern Nigeria, we empower Fulani Muslims with transformative education and literacy, building bridges of hope and understanding. In every area where we operate a Fulani school, the violence has dropped by 60 to 70%. We have found that providing people with options and opportunities is the best way to deter them from resorting to violence.
By helping Muslims overcome these challenges, we are helping to significantly reduce the violence and bring an end to the suffering. We have done a lot, but we have a long way to go. With the proper support, I believe we can reduce the violence and bring an end to suffering for the Muslims and Christians in the most dangerous region in the world.
* * *
<a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/ourfounder">Brad Brandon</a> is the founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.acrossnigeria.org/">Across Nigeria</a>. Since 2018, he has been actively serving in predominantly high-risk, highly persecuted areas like Northern Nigeria and other parts of West Africa.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

NIGERIA-VATICAN-RELIGION-POPE-AFRICA

The Silent Slaughter: Inside Nigeria’s Christian Persecution Crisis

The Silent Slaughter: Inside Nigeria's Christian Persecution Crisis

Murder

President Donald Trump defended Afrikaner farmers during an Oval Office meeting today with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, playing a video of alleged incitements to violence after Ramaphosa rejected claims of a white genocide.
The video included a clip of Julius Malema, a member of South Africa’s National Assembly, singing “Kill the Boer” at a political rally, a reference to Afrikaners.
While the video played, Ramaphosa looked away from the screen, visibly uncomfortable, while Trump looked straight on.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
President Trump directly accused South African President Cyril Ramaphosa of an Afrikaner genocide.
When Ramaphosa denied the claim, Trump played a video showing anti-Afrikaner speeches and footage of white farmers&#39; burial sites. <a href="https://t.co/IgDXz1vJKQ">pic.twitter.com/IgDXz1vJKQ</a>
&mdash; Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1925237856747831419?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The video also included footage of what Trump claimed was the gravesite of 1,000 Afrikaner farmers.
Ramaphosa said he had never seen the site but “would like to know where that is.”
Trump also held up articles that he said showed proof of the genocide against Afrikaners.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-and-rubio-put-america-first-in-100-days?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=How+Trump+And+Rubio+Put+America+First+In+100+Days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HOW TRUMP AND RUBIO PUT AMERICA FIRST IN 100 DAYS</a>
“I don’t know how it can get any worse,” Trump said.
Ramaphosa responded to Trump, raising concerns about the “Kill the Boer” chant, claiming that it was said by a minority party and was not representative of the government.
“When they take the land, they kill the white farmer, and when they kill the white farmer, nothing happens to them,” Trump said. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
President Trump arguing with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa about the genocide of White farmers.
&quot;The farmers are not black,” Trump said. <a href="https://t.co/3kt5vbAIUc">pic.twitter.com/3kt5vbAIUc</a>
&mdash; Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1925239960199684523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Ramaphosa responded, claiming that black people are also killed by criminals in the country.
“The farmers are not black,” Trump said. “The people that are being killed in large numbers, and you saw those grave sites and those are people that loved ones are going on a Sunday morning they told me to pay their respects to their loved ones that were killed. Their heads chopped off. They died violently.”
Ramaphosa, being diplomatic, asked to discuss the “criminality” issues in South Africa outside of the media and encouraged American partnership in addressing them.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/homeland-security-to-screen-immigrants-and-foreign-students-social-media-for-anti-semitism?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=29&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Homeland+Security+To+Screen+Immigrants+And+Foreign+Students%E2%80%99+Social+Media+For+Anti-Semitism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HOMELAND SECURITY TO SCREEN IMMIGRANTS AND FOREIGN STUDENTS’ SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ANTI-SEMITISM</a>
The meeting comes amid controversy over the Trump administration welcoming Afrikaner refugees to the United States, alleging they are the victims of a race-based genocide. 
Tensions between the two countries have increased following the passage of South Africa’s Expropriation Act, which allows the South African government to confiscate land without compensation.
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=editorial&amp;utm_campaign=memorial&amp;utm_content=editorialmemorialday" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Memorial Day Sale – Get 40% Off New DailyWire+ Annual Memberships</a>
Trump issued an executive order in February saying the act ignored citizens’ rights and enabled the government to “seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation.” The directive cut aid or assistance to South Africa and declared that the United States would promote resettling Afrikaner refugees.
Ramaphosa denied that Afrikaner land is being taken away during the meeting. He pointed to his South African Agriculture Minister, John Steenhuisen, who is white, and claimed that the majority of white farmers want to stay. 
Steenhuisen said he joined Ramaphosa’s coalition government as an opposition party to keep the anti-white politicians out of power in South Africa.
“Why wouldn’t you arrest that man?” Trump asked, pointing out that Malema was inciting violence by calling for white people to be killed.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/deals-and-diplomacy-heres-everything-trump-accomplished-on-his-gulf-tour?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Deals+And+Diplomacy%3A+Here%E2%80%99s+Everything+Trump+Accomplished+On+His+Gulf+Tour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DEALS AND DIPLOMACY: HERE’S EVERYTHING TRUMP ACCOMPLISHED ON HIS GULF TOUR</a>
The Trump administration accepted 59 farmers who arrived in the United States on a chartered flight earlier this month through an expedited program. Democrats <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rubio-says-dem-senator-only-opposes-afrikaner-refugees-because-of-their-race">have denied</a> that Afrikaners are being persecuted for their race and have criticized the Trump administration for resettling the refugees in the United States.
Trump pushed back on those criticisms last week, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-rips-critics-of-south-african-refugee-policy-its-a-terrible-thing-thats-taking-place?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Rips+Critics+Of+South+African+Refugee+Policy%3A+%E2%80%98It%E2%80%99s+A+Terrible+Thing+That%E2%80%99s+Taking+Place%E2%80%99">saying</a> the refugees “happen to be white, but whether they’re white or black makes no difference to me.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio doubled down on the Trump administration’s belief that Afrikaners are being persecuted during a Senate hearing on Wednesday.
“These are people whose farms were burned down and they were killed because of the color of their skin,” Rubio said in a heated exchange with Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA).
Rubio added that the farmers qualify for refugee status because they “live in a country where farms are taken and land is taken on a racial basis.”

President Trump Meets With South African President Cyril Ramaphosa At The White House

Trump Confronts South African President In Oval Office Over White Farmer Genocide

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