How Boko Haram reduced 176 Churches To 28 in Gwoza community

The Gwoza Christian Community Association in Borno State has accused Boko Haram terrorists of perpetrating an ongoing genocide against Christians in the area.

In a statement jointly signed by Rev. Ayuba John Bassa (National Coordinator) and Rev. Filibus K. Goma (Chairman of the Board of Trustees), the association said it possesses documentary evidence supporting its claims.

“When a Senator recently told Channels TV that there is no persecution or genocide against Christians in Borno—particularly in Gwoza—he denied the lived reality of thousands of people he does not know,” the statement read. “We are indigenous Christians of Gwoza Local Government Area. What follows is not hearsay or political rhetoric; it is our testimony—a painful record of loss, displacement, and erasure.”

The association detailed the extensive destruction of Christian infrastructure and communities:

• Before the insurgency, Gwoza had over 176 large church buildings. Today, 148 churches have been burnt and lie in ruins.

• Entire Christian neighborhoods in Gwoza East and West were flattened, with many homes completely destroyed.

• In Gava-West, 74 towns and villages were sacked, 36,946 families displaced, 99 churches destroyed, and 292 people killed in September 2013.

• In Attagara, 13 churches were destroyed, 1,738 families displaced, and 140 Christians killed by June 2014.

• By August 2014, 2,203 Christian houses and 28 churches were destroyed in Gwoza town, Kamba, and Ghraza, with 102 Christians killed, including three pastors.

• In total, 12 pastors were killed by insurgents in Gwoza Local Government Area.

• Other Christian towns—including Ngoshe, Bokko, Pulka, Limankara, Ngoshe-sama, Barawa, and Gava-North—also experienced massive loss of life and destruction.

The association said the human cost is staggering, noting that about 107,000 Gwoza Christians are currently in 27 internally displaced persons (IDP) camps across seven Nigerian states and in the Minawao refugee camp in Cameroon, while nearly 50,000 live with relatives in towns and cities across Nigeria.

“This pattern—the destruction of churches, removal of Christian families, and official silence or inaction—raises an unavoidable question: is there a systematic attempt to erase Christians and their heritage from Gwoza?” the statement asked.

The association criticized Christian leadership for remaining silent or compromised and called for urgent action:

• To CAN and Christian bodies: Speak up for the suffering. Do not trade lives and dignity for political gains.

• To the Nigerian government: Protect all citizens, conduct independent investigations, prosecute perpetrators, ensure equitable reconstruction, and restore the right of displaced Christians to return home safely.

• To Christians and people of conscience worldwide: Pray, advocate, and provide support. Survivors need more than sympathy—they need protection and a pathway to rebuild their lives and heritage.

“This is our testimony as indigenous Christians from Gwoza. The blood and ruins cry out for justice. We have endured atrocities for too long, hoping things would change. They have not. The time for denial and silence is over. Please talk about it until the world knows.”