A coalition of human rights organisations, faith-based groups, and civil society actors has raised alarm over what it described as a recurring pattern of attacks during the Christmas season in Northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt, warning of the risk of fresh violence during the 2025 festivities.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday and made available to SaharaReporters, the coalition cautioned that failure by the government to take decisive preventive action could result in renewed mass killings and displacement.

The groups traced a troubling history of Christmas-related attacks, beginning with the 2010 twin bombings in Ungwan Rukuba and Gada Biyu areas of Jos, Plateau State, and the 2011 bombing of St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Madalla, Niger State. According to the coalition, these incidents triggered widespread displacement and entrenched long-term insecurity.

The statement also recalled the Christmas Eve 2016 attack on Goska community in Jema’a Local Government Area of Southern Kaduna, which reportedly left about 20 people dead and forced hundreds of residents to flee their homes.

According to the signatories, the scale of violence has increased in recent years. During the 2023 Christmas period, coordinated attacks in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi local government areas of Plateau State allegedly resulted in more than 212 deaths and displaced over 10,000 people.

Similarly, during the 2024 Christmas celebrations, about 46 worshippers were reportedly killed in Anwase, Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, leading to the displacement of an additional 6,800 people and pushing the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the state beyond 150,000.

The coalition also expressed concern about emerging threats ahead of Christmas 2025, citing the recent abduction of 20 worshippers from an ECWA church in Ayetorokiri, Bunu-Kabba, Kogi State, as evidence that faith-based attacks remain a serious security risk.

“This recurring pattern of Christmas-season atrocities across parts of the Middle Belt must be urgently addressed to prevent further violence and the intersection of faith-based insecurity with domestic terrorism,” the statement said.

The groups called on the Federal Government to immediately deploy adequate security personnel to protect communities, churches, and travellers during the festive period, while prioritising the safety and welfare of internally displaced persons across affected regions.

They urged authorities to recognise the complex challenges faced by displaced populations, including loss of homes and livelihoods, lack of documentation, and heightened vulnerability to further attacks, and to adopt sustainable economic empowerment measures to reduce prolonged displacement.

The coalition also demanded the urgent mobilisation of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMA) to provide food, water, shelter, and security for displaced persons during the Christmas season.

In addition, they called for the safe, voluntary, and dignified return or resettlement of displaced communities, emphasising the need for their involvement in decision-making processes, as well as improved collaboration between security agencies and local vigilante groups to strengthen intelligence gathering and community policing.

In a direct appeal to President Bola Tinubu, the coalition urged him to assent to the domestication of the African Union Convention for the Protection and Assistance of Internally Displaced Persons in Africa, also known as the Kampala Convention, describing it as vital to a coordinated and rights-based response to Nigeria’s displacement crisis.

“We urge the government to urgently prioritise the protection needs of IDPs and host communities, prevent further incidents that could increase displacement, and address the crisis in a sustainable and enduring manner,” the statement said.

The statement was signed by several organisations and individuals, including House of Justice, Global Rights, Atrocities Watch Africa, The Kukah Centre, Open Bar Initiative, Middle Belt Times, Prof. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, Gloria Mabeiam Ballason, Abiodun Baiyewu, and Rt. Hon. Cephas Dyako.

Nigeria remains one of the countries with the largest populations of internally displaced persons in Africa, largely due to insurgency, banditry, and communal violence, with rights groups repeatedly warning that seasonal spikes in attacks expose serious gaps in civilian protection and security planning.