Canada has joined the United States in raising alarm over what lawmakers describe as an ongoing attack against Christians in Nigeria.
The development followed a strong statement made in the Canadian Parliament, calling global attention to rising killings and targeted violence in the country.
The issue was brought forward by Andrew Scheer, a Member of Parliament and leader in the Conservative Party.
He warned that the situation has reached a critical level and accused extremist groups of carrying out systematic attacks on Christian communities.
During his address, he said Nigeria has witnessed mass killings, mass displacement, and destruction of places of worship.
He stressed that silence from the international community is worsening the crisis.
Scheer began by drawing attention to the scale of violence, saying,
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring attention to the tragedy Christians in Nigeria are experiencing.”
He reminded Parliament that the crisis has lingered for years, stressing that extremist groups are behind much of the violence.
According to him, Boko Haram remains one of the key forces attacking Christian communities. He emphasized their mission to wipe out the faith, stating that the group has targeted believers and villages without mercy.
He referenced past atrocities to remind lawmakers of the group’s brutality:
“The deadly terrorist organization Boko Haram is trying to eliminate the Christian faith from Nigeria. This is the same terrorist group that kidnapped dozens of young schoolgirls and burned innocent civilians alive in cages.”
Scheer then spoke about the humanitarian disaster unfolding in affected regions.
He highlighted mass displacement across northern and central Nigeria, noting that millions have been forced from their homes, churches and communities.
“According to reports, over 3.5 million people have been forced to flee their homes. Three churches are destroyed every single day.”
The former house leader continued, explaining that Christian worship has become dangerous as many can no longer gather publicly without fear of attack.
Believers now meet secretly in devastated areas and burnt church buildings.
He added, “7,000 Christians were massacred this year alone, and the faithful must now meet in secret or in burnt-out sanctuaries.”
Scheer also expressed frustration over what he described as a lack of international attention.
He criticized global media and political leaders for failing to highlight the crisis or demand accountability.
He said,
“Sadly, the world is turning a blind eye to the plight of Christians in Nigeria. There are no embedded journalists covering the violence. There are not daily updates. Politicians around the world are not asked questions about how they will respond.”
The Canadian MP urged world leaders to act, insisting that global silence is helping fuel the violence.
He stressed the need for humanitarian support, public awareness and international pressure on authorities to protect vulnerable communities.
“We cannot ignore this violence and tragic loss of life. We must speak out and shine a light on what’s happening so that people can donate to relief efforts and provide support to those displaced by violence.”
Scheer ended on a note of solidarity and faith.
He encouraged Christians in Nigeria to remain resilient despite the suffering, promising that they would not be forgotten.