ISWAP Forces Christians in Adamawa to Pay Jizyah or Convert
Fresh fears of religious persecution are gripping Nigeria’s Northeast as reports confirm that ISWAP Jizyah Tax in Adamawa has become a new tool of coercion against Christian communities. In the first week of January 2026, residents of several rural settlements in Madagali and Michika local government areas disclosed that fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province have issued chilling ultimatums demanding conversion to Islam or the payment of compulsory religious levies to remain alive.
Multiple local accounts indicate that the extremist group has moved beyond random attacks to a more calculated campaign of ideological and economic control. Under this strategy, Christian households are reportedly receiving verbal and written warnings, giving them limited time to comply with ISWAP’s demands or face execution, arson, or forced displacement. Community leaders describe the development as a dangerous escalation that threatens both religious freedom and civilian survival in already fragile border regions.
The so-called Jizyah tax, rooted in ancient historical practices, is being exploited by ISWAP as a modern weapon of terror and revenue generation. Insurgents are said to have established parallel governance systems in contested areas, complete with tax collectors, enforcement units, and informal documentation issued to those who pay. Farmers and small-scale traders who are unable to meet the financial demands are subjected to intense pressure to renounce their faith, a tactic observers say serves both financial and propaganda objectives for the group.
The humanitarian consequences have been immediate and severe. Dozens of villages have reportedly emptied as Christian families flee into nearby hills or attempt to reach internally displaced persons camps around Yola. Clergy members and aid workers warn that the forced taxation represents a slow but deliberate strategy of religious cleansing, weakening communities financially while breaking their social cohesion. Analysts note that the absence of sustained state presence in remote settlements has emboldened insurgents to operate with alarming organization and confidence.
In response, Adamawa State authorities and security forces have announced increased patrols and intelligence operations in affected areas, though officials admit that the fluid, guerrilla nature of ISWAP’s activities makes enforcement difficult. Human rights organizations are now urging urgent federal intervention, warning that silence or delayed response could normalize extremist control over religious minorities in the region.
For many Christian residents of northern Adamawa, the beginning of 2026 has brought renewed fear rather than relief. Caught between armed extremism and institutional neglect, they face an impossible choice between their faith, their livelihoods, and their lives, as ISWAP continues its campaign to reshape identity and authority through violence and economic strangulation.
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