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British activist Tommy Robinson raised concerns about the persecution of Christians in Nigeria during a “Unite the Kingdom” rally in central London on Saturday, alongside a Nigerian bishop who accused Western institutions of failing to speak out against attacks on Christian communities.Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, organized the rally on topics including British identity, immigration and national security.While addressing his supporters, Robinson spoke about the violence faced by Christians in parts of Nigeria and the wider Middle East.“When Christians are slaughtered and massacred in every country in the Middle East… there is genocide happening right now,” Robinson said.“This has been happening for years in Nigeria. We will not remain silent while our Christian brothers and sisters are raped and plundered in any country in the world.”
“While others ignore you, or avoid you and your plight, the patriotic men and women of the United Kingdom of Great Britain will not,” Robinson wrote on X (formerly Twitter).“You are our brothers and sisters in Christ.”Anglican Bishop Joan Zombes, of the Bukuru Diocese in Nigeria, addressed the audience and spoke about the situation facing Christian communities in the country’s Middle Belt region.
“Majority Christian communities are attacked daily. People are killed. Churches are demolished. Entire communities are looted,” Zombes said.He claimed that groups including Boko Haram, Islamic State in West Africa militants and Fulani armed groups have contributed to years of insecurity, kidnappings and attacks targeting Christians in some areas.“Christian persecution in Nigeria is a reality,” Zombes said.The bishop also claimed that kidnappers had previously tried to kidnap him from his home in Nigeria.Christian advocacy organizations have repeatedly highlighted concerns about religious violence and insecurity in Nigeria. The country currently ranks seventh on the 2026 World Watch List published by Open Doors, which monitors the persecution faced by Christians globally.The organization has reported thousands of killings linked to extremist violence and armed attacks in the northern and central regions of Nigeria in recent years.Zombes urged Christians in Britain not to “abandon the Gospel” and warned that religious extremism and violence were not issues limited to one area.“Please, it is my desire, my prayer, that you hold on to this gospel,” he said.“Let Christ reign in England.”
