In Boko Haram’s Backyard, a Congregation Worships Amid Rubble

Parishioners worshipping on the rubble of the Church of the Brethren in Maidiguri, Nigeria, on Aug. 8, 2021. Courtesy Rev. Stephen Billi

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria—For years, Christians in Nigeria’s Borno State have watched ISIS terrorists burn their churches, but now they say the government itself is tearing them down.

The demolition of a church in Maiduguri, a city that for 12 years has weathered attacks by the murderous insurgency known as Boko Haram, has ignited a firestorm of controversy. Gov. Babagana Umaru Zulum claims the law is on his side in the destruction of the church, although a popular local pastor says his church is the victim of a “subtle jihad.”