Nigerian bishop says church has ‘come alive’ in face of persercution

A Nigerian bishop whose diocese has been terrorised by Boko Haram has said the Church in Maiduguri has “come alive” in the face of persecution and one of the major sources of its strength is “courageous” priests.

According to Bishop Oliver Doeme, Christians in Nigeria are experiencing “severe persecution” from terror groups such as Boko Haram, Islamic State and Fulani militias.

Speaking to The Tablet after he delivered a keynote address at the All-Ireland Rosary Rally at Knock Shrine in Co Mayo, Bishop Doeme explained, “The people are ready to lay their lives down for the sake of their faith and for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

He said even some of those who had lapsed in the practice of their faith had “woken up”.

“Despite the attacks, people still continue to go to church for mass, whether there are bomb blasts or gun shots. They go because this has emboldened them. Everybody now is coming to church for religious devotions, for masses, for prayers. Our people show resilience and that is clearly manifested in their daily lives.”

One of the “major sources of their strength and encouragement” are their priests. “The priests are very courageous. They remain among the people and are with them as they run into the bush under attack,” he said.

“The people run together with the priests. If they return, they come back with the priest, so the presence of the priest creates a huge difference in terms of encouraging and strengthening the faith of our people.”

He contrasted the fortitude of the priests with Pentecostal pastors who he accused of “commercialising the gospel”. He said theirs was “a gospel of convenience. When there is comfort, they are there. When there is difficulty, they flee.”

According to Fides, a total of 145 priests were kidnapped and 11 killed in Nigeria between 2015 and 2025. The report also showed that since 2009, the Islamist Boko Haram insurgents have also been responsible for numerous kidnappings, particularly in Nigeria’s northeast and northwest, including mass-abductions of schoolchildren.

Bishop Doeme, a strong advocate for the rosary, has called on Catholics throughout the world to say the rosary for peace, explained that the Fulani militias do not operate in his diocese of Maiduguri. “Only Boko Haram or Islamic State (ISWAP), they are in the forest or the mountains. They come out once in a while to attack.”

The 65-year-old prelate, who is originally from the North-Central Nigerian city of Jos, told The Tablet that the Church in Britain and Ireland “has a very significant role to play in supporting us as a persecuted church in Nigeria”. He said this support could be shown in two ways.

“One way is through prayer; offer prayers for us, because prayer can work wonders. Secondly, they can offer financial support because many of our churches and church buildings have been razed and it’s very difficult to rebuild them. So, you need financial support from brothers and sisters elsewhere. These are the two things we need from the Church in Ireland and Britain.”

He said more than 200 church structures have been destroyed by Boko Haram. Priests’ rectories had been destroyed by religious extremists and more than 1000 Catholics have been “battered” because of their faith.

Nevertheless, he said, despite these attacks, “the Church still remains strong. The faith of the people remains unshaken.”

He said the governments in Britain and Ireland could also lend financial support to persecuted Nigerians because it is not only structures that have been impacted.

“There are people who cannot get food for themselves even once in a day, the food is not there, the money is not there to buy the foodstuff. We have many widows, orphans, elderly, and displaced. The Church has been struggling to take care of them, but the number is so big that the Church cannot take care of all the needs.

“If the governments in Britain and Ireland can come to our aid by providing financial support or resources so that we can rebuild the people and rebuild the structures in our diocese that would be wonderful.”

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