Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey
Episode: Ep 1270 | Who’s Funding the Christian Genocide in Nigeria?
Guest: Judd Saul (founder of Equip the Persecuted and Truth Nigeria)
Date: November 21, 2025

This deep-dive episode examines the ongoing violence against Christians in Nigeria, described by guest Judd Saul as a “systematic jihad.” The conversation pulls back the curtain on who is perpetrating and funding the violence, the complicity of the Nigerian government, how international aid is being misused, why Western media coverage is misguided, and what courageous Nigerian Christians are enduring. Saul shares compelling firsthand stories, debunks misinformation, and provides concrete action steps for listeners.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Judd Saul’s Background & Calling

Personal Testimony: Grew up Christian, drifted away, then returned to faith in 2009 (02:08).
Calling to Nigeria: Inspired by his evangelist grandfather and a Nigerian missionary’s testimony. First visited Nigeria in 2011 and observed a dramatic rise in attacks on Christians (02:30).
Mission Work: Founded Equipping the Persecuted in 2019 to aid persecuted Christians, because “very few organizations or missionaries [were] doing anything about it” (02:30–03:13).

What's Happening in Nigeria?

Systematic Violence: Saul describes “a real-life systematic jihad against Christians perpetrated by radical Islamists from the north… a conquering of a nation by a thousand attacks.” (03:24–04:23)
Incremental Conquest: “It's not just one giant offensive… it's just little by little over time.” (03:24)
Fulani Tribe: Not indigenous to Nigeria. Moved in from the Sahel; their population has exploded, bringing with them a radical brand of Islam (04:34).
Strategic Importance: “If they can take Nigeria, then they can take over all of Africa... because there's no other country in Africa that matches the population of Nigeria.” (04:57–05:13)
Violence Motivation: The Fulani practice “a very radical form of Islam that originated in Saudi Arabia” and “they feel it is their duty by Allah to go kill these people and take their land.” (05:39)
Attack Pattern: “Death by a thousand cuts.” (04:19–04:23)

Is this a Christian Genocide?

Disproportionate Impact: “The ratio is five to one – for every Muslim killed, it's five Christians that are killed... over 10,000 churches have been destroyed and nearly 800 Christian communities completely wiped off the map.” (06:22–06:50)
Muslim Victims: Acknowledges Muslims are killed too, especially if they aren’t “hardcore” enough, but Christians are overwhelmingly the targets (06:09).

Role of the Nigerian Government

Complicity and Corruption: “The Nigerian government is complicit in these attacks... they've infiltrated the military, the entire security apparatus.” (06:55)
Failure to Intervene: “Our policy is to notify the Nigerian police and military… and in the majority of those cases, the Nigerian military, police and government ignored our terror alerts and never intervened during these attacks.” (07:43–08:24)
Criminalization of Victims: Christians who self-arm are “arrested by the military and put in prison, while the perpetrators... get away scot free.” (07:43)
Aid Diversion: International aid (USAID) is misdirected, sometimes reaching terrorist groups instead of victims (23:09–23:19).

Funding the Militancy

Weapon & Money Flows: “When the Arab Spring happened… funding, weapons, everything started pouring in from the Middle East down to Northern Africa.” (11:24)
Foreign Interests: “The Chinese are illegally mining all over the middle belt… giving money and paying bribes to mine… paying the terrorists to leave them alone.” (12:02)
Kidnapping as Industry: Over 10,000 Christians said to be held in terror camps for ransom. “Christians love life… if a Muslim gets kidnapped, they hardly ever pay the ransom. So if they know they can kidnap Christians, the Christians will pay.” (13:36)
Hopelessness and Conditioning: Christians have become “conditioned to feel… this is the norm… [they wake] up every day going, ‘Thank God I didn’t get kidnapped… didn’t get killed.’” (14:05)

Propaganda, Media, and Misinformation

Media Filter: News from Nigeria is “always filtered through Al Jazeera... then that goes to the AP, and that is the mainstream article that goes out.” (31:03–31:58)
Deliberate Minimization: A massacre of 280 Christians described by mainstream media as 100 “people” (not Christians) killed by “unknown gunmen” (32:01–33:02).
Danger for Journalists: Local journalists reporting the truth “risk their lives every day… [our guys] have been arrested, they've been beat up… to tell the truth.” (34:20)

Aid Organizations & International Response

USAID Critique: Largely ineffective, occasionally tone-deaf – example: bringing only four garbage cans to a camp of 3,000 displaced people (21:00–22:50).
Aid Misallocation: “The food trucks that USAID was sending was ending up in terror camps.” (23:17)
Direct Aid: Judd Saul’s organization ensures “we distribute [aid] directly to the people… doesn't get siphoned off by the government.” (25:26)

Profile of the Violence

Details of Atrocities: “Just yesterday, a church was attacked. Three people were killed, eight people were abducted. Four days ago, 25 Christian girls were kidnapped from a school” (26:57–27:12).
Sexual Violence and Forced Conversion: “There's a high chance… they’re going to turn [kidnapped girls] into baby factories for the Muslims… most of the Chibok girls… forced marriages to terrorists.” (27:13–28:10)
Cycle of Trauma: Villages are razed, survivors forcibly displaced, and left with no government support (29:18–29:33).

U.S. and International Policy

Trump’s Stance [Played Audio, 18:14]: “If the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid…”
Saul's Response: “I had tears of joy… finally, we've been at this for six years trying to get the government to recognize what is going on.” (19:27–19:33)
Critique of Biden Administration: Blamed for minimizing the issue: “They kept on telling us, no, people are being killed in Nigeria because of climate change.” (19:51)
Role of Lobbyists and Diplomats: “There are political forces within our US Government that are being paid by the Nigerian government to lobby to keep the status quo… We're fighting against this right now.” (38:13)

Stories of Courage and Faith

Pastor Ezekiel: Saul describes the pastor as “one of the bravest… goes right to where the attacks are… praying with people, trying to be a spiritual light in the darkness.” (39:51)
Testimony of Forgiveness: “One of these [widowed] ladies… her husband was a pastor… murdered, chopped up… she said, ‘There’s no reason for you to be sad because I have forgiven the attackers… we look to the Lord and put our trust in Jesus.’” (50:21)

Conversions & Spiritual Trends

Muslim-to-Christian Conversion: “Over 600 Muslims have come to know Christ in the last three months through our ministry.” (52:59–53:23)
Danger of Conversion: Converts move to safe houses for discipleship; choosing to evangelize up north carries a death sentence if discovered (53:25–54:16).
Resilience of Faith: Christians courageously gather and worship despite daily threat and loss (52:59–54:50).

Countering Misinformation/False Narratives

Reluctance to Name Islamism: Both left and right in America are increasingly squeamish about criticizing Islam or highlighting its role in Nigerian violence, sometimes out of “a lack of courage… or stupidity.” (42:43–44:12)
Historical Pattern: Saul asserts that Islamic conquest “hasn’t been by voluntary conversion… it has been done by the sword.” (43:01)
Warning for the West: Nigeria’s scenario could be “what would play out in America 30 years from now” if people remain blind to the underlying ideology (43:03–44:12).

Quotes & Notable Moments

On the nature of violence:
“Death by a thousand cuts. That’s what's happening in Nigeria right now.” — Judd Saul (04:23)
On government complicity:
“The Nigerian government is complicit in these attacks… they've infiltrated the military, the entire security apparatus.” — Judd Saul (06:55)
On the response from aid organizations:
“This is a camp of over 3,000 people. There's trash everywhere… their USAID gift to a camp was four garbage cans.” — Judd Saul (22:49)
On the media’s failure:
“News in Nigeria, when it gets to the mainstream media, is always filtered through Al Jazeera… then it goes to the AP.” — Judd Saul (31:03)
On courage and faith:
“‘There’s no reason for you to be sad because I have forgiven the attackers… we look to the Lord and put our trust in Jesus.’” — Judd Saul, reporting a widow’s words (50:21)

Notable Timestamps

[02:08] Judd Saul’s testimony & calling
[03:24–04:23] Description of systematic violence against Christians
[06:22–06:50] Data on Christian vs. Muslim casualties
[08:27] Information gathering via Truth Nigeria
[11:24–13:48] Funding and mechanisms behind the violence
[14:05] State of mind among Nigerian Christians (“conditioned to feel… this is the norm”)
[19:27–19:51] Emotional response to Trump’s comments vs. frustration with Biden administration
[21:00–22:50] Critique of USAID’s aid efforts
[26:57–28:16] Specific recent attacks (churches, schools, kidnapping, sex slavery)
[31:03–33:02] How and why facts are misreported by global media
[39:51] Story of courageous Pastor Ezekiel
[50:21] Forgiveness and resilience among Christian widows
[52:59–54:16] Accounts of Muslim conversions to Christianity

Action Steps for Listeners

1. Pray:
“Add the plight of the persecuted Christians in Nigeria to your prayer list… Talk about it with your pastors, your Bible studies, your small groups.” — Judd Saul (56:00)

2. Raise Awareness:
Share accurate information, especially the personal testimonies of Nigerian Christians.

3. Take Concrete Action:
Partner with Equipping the Persecuted (equippingthepersecuted.org), which brings direct aid to victims and supports evangelism and discipleship (56:00).

Notable Quotes

“What is playing out in Nigeria right now could be what would play out in America 30 years from now.”
— Judd Saul (43:03)

“We are there on the ground every day helping our persecuted brothers and sisters any way we can.”
— Judd Saul (56:00)

“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
— Allie Beth Stuckey (56:39)

Final Thoughts

This episode brings a sobering, firsthand look at “one of the world’s most underreported genocides,” highlighting the spiritual, political, and human stakes. It provides listeners with the truth behind the headlines and clear, compassionate steps for supporting persecuted Christians in Nigeria.

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Judd Saul’s Background & Calling

Personal Testimony: Grew up Christian, drifted away, then returned to faith in 2009 (02:08).
Calling to Nigeria: Inspired by his evangelist grandfather and a Nigerian missionary’s testimony. First visited Nigeria in 2011 and observed a dramatic rise in attacks on Christians (02:30).
Mission Work: Founded Equipping the Persecuted in 2019 to aid persecuted Christians, because “very few organizations or missionaries [were] doing anything about it” (02:30–03:13).

What's Happening in Nigeria?

Systematic Violence: Saul describes “a real-life systematic jihad against Christians perpetrated by radical Islamists from the north… a conquering of a nation by a thousand attacks.” (03:24–04:23)
Incremental Conquest: “It's not just one giant offensive… it's just little by little over time.” (03:24)
Fulani Tribe: Not indigenous to Nigeria. Moved in from the Sahel; their population has exploded, bringing with them a radical brand of Islam (04:34).
Strategic Importance: “If they can take Nigeria, then they can take over all of Africa... because there's no other country in Africa that matches the population of Nigeria.” (04:57–05:13)
Violence Motivation: The Fulani practice “a very radical form of Islam that originated in Saudi Arabia” and “they feel it is their duty by Allah to go kill these people and take their land.” (05:39)
Attack Pattern: “Death by a thousand cuts.” (04:19–04:23)

Is this a Christian Genocide?

Disproportionate Impact: “The ratio is five to one – for every Muslim killed, it's five Christians that are killed... over 10,000 churches have been destroyed and nearly 800 Christian communities completely wiped off the map.” (06:22–06:50)
Muslim Victims: Acknowledges Muslims are killed too, especially if they aren’t “hardcore” enough, but Christians are overwhelmingly the targets (06:09).

Role of the Nigerian Government

Complicity and Corruption: “The Nigerian government is complicit in these attacks... they've infiltrated the military, the entire security apparatus.” (06:55)
Failure to Intervene: “Our policy is to notify the Nigerian police and military… and in the majority of those cases, the Nigerian military, police and government ignored our terror alerts and never intervened during these attacks.” (07:43–08:24)
Criminalization of Victims: Christians who self-arm are “arrested by the military and put in prison, while the perpetrators... get away scot free.” (07:43)
Aid Diversion: International aid (USAID) is misdirected, sometimes reaching terrorist groups instead of victims (23:09–23:19).

Funding the Militancy

Weapon & Money Flows: “When the Arab Spring happened… funding, weapons, everything started pouring in from the Middle East down to Northern Africa.” (11:24)
Foreign Interests: “The Chinese are illegally mining all over the middle belt… giving money and paying bribes to mine… paying the terrorists to leave them alone.” (12:02)
Kidnapping as Industry: Over 10,000 Christians said to be held in terror camps for ransom. “Christians love life… if a Muslim gets kidnapped, they hardly ever pay the ransom. So if they know they can kidnap Christians, the Christians will pay.” (13:36)
Hopelessness and Conditioning: Christians have become “conditioned to feel… this is the norm… [they wake] up every day going, ‘Thank God I didn’t get kidnapped… didn’t get killed.’” (14:05)

Propaganda, Media, and Misinformation

Media Filter: News from Nigeria is “always filtered through Al Jazeera... then that goes to the AP, and that is the mainstream article that goes out.” (31:03–31:58)
Deliberate Minimization: A massacre of 280 Christians described by mainstream media as 100 “people” (not Christians) killed by “unknown gunmen” (32:01–33:02).
Danger for Journalists: Local journalists reporting the truth “risk their lives every day… [our guys] have been arrested, they've been beat up… to tell the truth.” (34:20)

Aid Organizations & International Response

USAID Critique: Largely ineffective, occasionally tone-deaf – example: bringing only four garbage cans to a camp of 3,000 displaced people (21:00–22:50).
Aid Misallocation: “The food trucks that USAID was sending was ending up in terror camps.” (23:17)
Direct Aid: Judd Saul’s organization ensures “we distribute [aid] directly to the people… doesn't get siphoned off by the government.” (25:26)

Profile of the Violence

Details of Atrocities: “Just yesterday, a church was attacked. Three people were killed, eight people were abducted. Four days ago, 25 Christian girls were kidnapped from a school” (26:57–27:12).
Sexual Violence and Forced Conversion: “There's a high chance… they’re going to turn [kidnapped girls] into baby factories for the Muslims… most of the Chibok girls… forced marriages to terrorists.” (27:13–28:10)
Cycle of Trauma: Villages are razed, survivors forcibly displaced, and left with no government support (29:18–29:33).

U.S. and International Policy

Trump’s Stance [Played Audio, 18:14]: “If the Nigerian government continues to allow the killing of Christians, the USA will immediately stop all aid…”
Saul's Response: “I had tears of joy… finally, we've been at this for six years trying to get the government to recognize what is going on.” (19:27–19:33)
Critique of Biden Administration: Blamed for minimizing the issue: “They kept on telling us, no, people are being killed in Nigeria because of climate change.” (19:51)
Role of Lobbyists and Diplomats: “There are political forces within our US Government that are being paid by the Nigerian government to lobby to keep the status quo… We're fighting against this right now.” (38:13)

Stories of Courage and Faith

Pastor Ezekiel: Saul describes the pastor as “one of the bravest… goes right to where the attacks are… praying with people, trying to be a spiritual light in the darkness.” (39:51)
Testimony of Forgiveness: “One of these [widowed] ladies… her husband was a pastor… murdered, chopped up… she said, ‘There’s no reason for you to be sad because I have forgiven the attackers… we look to the Lord and put our trust in Jesus.’” (50:21)

Conversions & Spiritual Trends

Muslim-to-Christian Conversion: “Over 600 Muslims have come to know Christ in the last three months through our ministry.” (52:59–53:23)
Danger of Conversion: Converts move to safe houses for discipleship; choosing to evangelize up north carries a death sentence if discovered (53:25–54:16).
Resilience of Faith: Christians courageously gather and worship despite daily threat and loss (52:59–54:50).

Countering Misinformation/False Narratives

Reluctance to Name Islamism: Both left and right in America are increasingly squeamish about criticizing Islam or highlighting its role in Nigerian violence, sometimes out of “a lack of courage… or stupidity.” (42:43–44:12)
Historical Pattern: Saul asserts that Islamic conquest “hasn’t been by voluntary conversion… it has been done by the sword.” (43:01)
Warning for the West: Nigeria’s scenario could be “what would play out in America 30 years from now” if people remain blind to the underlying ideology (43:03–44:12).

Quotes & Notable Moments

On the nature of violence:
“Death by a thousand cuts. That’s what's happening in Nigeria right now.” — Judd Saul (04:23)
On government complicity:
“The Nigerian government is complicit in these attacks… they've infiltrated the military, the entire security apparatus.” — Judd Saul (06:55)
On the response from aid organizations:
“This is a camp of over 3,000 people. There's trash everywhere… their USAID gift to a camp was four garbage cans.” — Judd Saul (22:49)
On the media’s failure:
“News in Nigeria, when it gets to the mainstream media, is always filtered through Al Jazeera… then it goes to the AP.” — Judd Saul (31:03)
On courage and faith:
“‘There’s no reason for you to be sad because I have forgiven the attackers… we look to the Lord and put our trust in Jesus.’” — Judd Saul, reporting a widow’s words (50:21)

Notable Timestamps

[02:08] Judd Saul’s testimony & calling
[03:24–04:23] Description of systematic violence against Christians
[06:22–06:50] Data on Christian vs. Muslim casualties
[08:27] Information gathering via Truth Nigeria
[11:24–13:48] Funding and mechanisms behind the violence
[14:05] State of mind among Nigerian Christians (“conditioned to feel… this is the norm”)
[19:27–19:51] Emotional response to Trump’s comments vs. frustration with Biden administration
[21:00–22:50] Critique of USAID’s aid efforts
[26:57–28:16] Specific recent attacks (churches, schools, kidnapping, sex slavery)
[31:03–33:02] How and why facts are misreported by global media
[39:51] Story of courageous Pastor Ezekiel
[50:21] Forgiveness and resilience among Christian widows
[52:59–54:16] Accounts of Muslim conversions to Christianity

Action Steps for Listeners

1. Pray:
“Add the plight of the persecuted Christians in Nigeria to your prayer list… Talk about it with your pastors, your Bible studies, your small groups.” — Judd Saul (56:00)

2. Raise Awareness:
Share accurate information, especially the personal testimonies of Nigerian Christians.

3. Take Concrete Action:
Partner with Equipping the Persecuted (equippingthepersecuted.org), which brings direct aid to victims and supports evangelism and discipleship (56:00).

Notable Quotes

“What is playing out in Nigeria right now could be what would play out in America 30 years from now.”
— Judd Saul (43:03)

“We are there on the ground every day helping our persecuted brothers and sisters any way we can.”
— Judd Saul (56:00)

“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
— Allie Beth Stuckey (56:39)

Ep 1270 | Who’s Funding the Christian Genocide in Nigeria? | Judd Saul

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Summary

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Judd Saul’s Background & Calling

What's Happening in Nigeria?

Is this a Christian Genocide?

Role of the Nigerian Government

Funding the Militancy

Propaganda, Media, and Misinformation

Aid Organizations & International Response

Profile of the Violence

U.S. and International Policy

Stories of Courage and Faith

Conversions & Spiritual Trends

Countering Misinformation/False Narratives

Quotes & Notable Moments

Notable Timestamps

Action Steps for Listeners

Notable Quotes

Final Thoughts

Summary

Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Judd Saul’s Background & Calling

What's Happening in Nigeria?

Is this a Christian Genocide?

Role of the Nigerian Government

Funding the Militancy

Propaganda, Media, and Misinformation

Aid Organizations & International Response

Profile of the Violence

U.S. and International Policy

Stories of Courage and Faith

Conversions & Spiritual Trends

Countering Misinformation/False Narratives

Quotes & Notable Moments

Notable Timestamps

Action Steps for Listeners

Notable Quotes

Final Thoughts