On November 18 2025, a widely circulated video of terrorists attacking a church in Kwara State, Nigeria got posted on social media apps like Twitter and Instagram.
This was soon followed by reports of schoolgirls being abducted in multiple parts of Northern Nigeria. It was also followed by reports of prospective NYSC candidates encountering death via accident on their way to their camp.
However, this is not the first time that terrorists are attacking churches, schoolgirls are being abducted and NYSC candidates are at risk in Nigeria.
This is because Nigeria and Nigerians have a long history of religious conflicts, schoolgirl abductions and the targeted attacks of certain communities and states in the Middle Belt and Southern Kaduna.
In this resource list, are books, films and names of other media that document the lived realities of Nigeria’s history with religiously motivated conflicts.
Books
- Born on a Tuesday by Elnathan John: This novel explores how almajiri children are susceptible to politicians who want to use them to fight other politicians. It also discussed religious indoctrination.
- Night Dancer by Chika Unigwe: Set in the late 90s and early 2000s, Night Dancer documented the religious crisis that erupted in the North shortly after a beauty pageant was scheduled to hold there.
- Season of Crimson Blossoms by Abubakar Adam Ibrahim: This explores the psychological effect of terrorism on the psyche of Muslim families and those around them. It also gives a deep dive into the romantic lives of older women in the North.
- This Is How We Disappear by Titilope Sonuga: This is a poetry collection that documents the disappearance of the Chibok Girls who were abducted in early 2014.
- Like A Mule Bringing Ice Cream To The Sun by Sarah Ladipo Manyika: This novel follows the life of an older woman in the United States, who mourns the loss of the Jos of her childhood because it is no longer safe.
- The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: In this short story collection, a story called A Private Experience documented the aftermath of religious conflicts on two women of Muslim and Christian backgrounds.
- Buried Beneath The Baobab Tree by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani: This novel explores the psychological effect of girls who are captured and forced into pregnancy by terrorists.
- Better Never Than Late by Chika Unigwe: In this collection, multiple stories like Becoming Prosperous document the role of religious crisis in the choices made by women during immigration.
- Travellers by Helon Habila: Following the lives of immigrants from diverse backgrounds, this novel focuses on how conflicts influence why Nigerians become undocumented immigrants.
- In Dependence by Sarah Ladipo Manyika: This novel explores a wide range of topics like faith, immigration and the tensions in Jos, Nigeria.
Films
- The Herd: A film series available on Netflix and documents religious crises in Nigeria.
- Stolen Daughters: A film documenting the Chibok Girls and their lives after captivity.
- Ten Years…Life After The Chibok Abduction: A documentary by Women Radio that interrogates why some Chibok Girls are still held in captivity ten years after.
Other notable media include the work of Fati Abubakar, a photographer and health worker who documented the crises in the North East through her page called BitsofBorno.
The work and photography of Abubakar Mustapha is also of notable interest.
