Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants set fire to a Christian village in Adamawa State and issued an ominous demand that residents must convert to Islam or face death.
Footage and images circulating online and shared by security expert Brant Philip showed the village engulfed in flames, with the terror group’s statement declaring that “all Christians in Nigeria are legitimate targets.”
The message, posted by ISWAP, said believers could “spare their blood” only by renouncing their faith or submitting to a jizyah tax imposed by the group — a levy historically used by extremist factions to coerce non-Muslims.
“ISWAP released an image of one of the Christian villages in Adamawa State burning, alongside a statement saying that all Christians in Nigeria are legitimate targets, and that they have an opportunity to ‘spare their blood’ by converting to Islam or paying the jizyah tax to ISWAP,” Philip wrote on X.
The attack is widely seen as retaliation for recent joint Nigerian–US airstrikes on extremist hideouts in Sokoto State, announced last week by the United States and confirmed by Nigerian authorities. ISWAP’s brutal campaign has continued despite intensified military operations against it.
Northeast in Nigeria has been a flashpoint of jihadist violence for years, with militant groups targeting both Christian and Muslim communities in a conflict that government officials describe as multifaceted — involving terrorism, banditry, and communal clashes — even as critics highlight the religious dimension of certain assaults.
In Washington, one US lawmaker condemned the threat as religious persecution, saying it “removes any doubt that Christians in Nigeria are being targeted for their faith in Jesus Christ.” Rep. Riley M. Moore wrote that the warnings from ISWAP mirror tactics used by ISIS in other theatres and stressed ongoing cooperation between the US and Nigerian authorities to protect vulnerable communities.
The government has not yet issued an official response to this specific incident.
