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Rifkatu* was kidnapped four weeks—to the day—after her wedding.
During those four weeks, she and her husband, Pastor Zamai*, dreamed about a better life. They'd been driven from their homes and farms by Fulani militants. But a new life together, a chance to build a new home and a new family? That was a dream that seemed within reach.
"They did this to us because we are Christians."
Rifkatu*, Nigerian believer
But just four weeks later, those dreams were reduced to ashes.
That morning, Rifkatu, Zamai, and their family had decided to risk returning to their farmland to gather crops, as food was scarce. But when Fulani militants came to the farmhouse, Rifkatu and her sister-in-law were kidnapped, taken to an abandoned house, and separated.
Please note: The following paragraphs include accounts of sexual violence and may be upsetting for some readers. Please use discretion.
"There, three people slept with me," says Rifkatu. "One man came in. I acted as though I had fainted, then he started raping me."
The following day, the militants took Rifkatu and her sister-in-law to their camp. There, Rifkatu noticed something specific about the female captives. "They did this to us because we are Christians," she says. "Since I went to that camp, all those who were kidnapped, I didn't see any Muslims held there."
Rifkatu was so desperate for her ordeal to end that she lied and said she was pregnant, hoping it would deter the man who was hurting her. But he did not stop.
Despite all that was happening to Rifkatu, in her heart, she was praying. It was all she could do.
"At first, when I was caught, I didn't know if there is a God or not," she says. "But after I entered their hands, I depended on God and looked to see what God would do."
The following day, Rifkatu began to have a stomachache from the abuse she had suffered. Since her captors believed she was pregnant, when they saw blood, they believed Rifkatu was suffering a miscarriage.
In parts of Nigeria, some Muslims mix Islam with beliefs from traditional folk religions. One of these beliefs is that a woman's blood brings bad luck.
As a result, the camp leader took Rifkatu and her sister to a church in a nearby village, and from there, the two women were able to make their way back home.
At first, Rifkatu was welcomed back by her family and community.
"The day my wife returned home, my heart was filled with joy," remembers Pastor Zamai. "God had answered my prayer for her release."
But soon the trauma of what she had been through began to show. Rifkatu found herself terrified of men—even her new husband.
"There was a lot of fear in her heart," shares Zamai.
"I didn't want any man to come close to me," explains Rifkatu. "But [Zamai] never gave up. He told me I shouldn't worry... because he has not changed—he is still my husband."
Rifkatu slowly began to become comfortable around Zamai again, and about two months later, she became pregnant.
However, due to complications during the delivery, Rifkatu's daughter was born with a developmental delay, and without any basis, people began to suggest that Rifkatu's daughter had been fathered by a militant.
"The women won't enter the house because they feel if they visit and my daughter sees them, they will give birth to a baby with her condition," Rifkatu remembers.
This experience is all too common for women across sub-Saharan Africa. It's why sexual violence is used against Christians—to tear apart their families and communities, leaving the church weakened.
When the isolation began to affect Rifkatu's relationship with her daughter, she and Zamai knew she needed to get help.
Thankfully, Open Doors' partners were able to put Rifkatu in touch with Asebe*, a trauma care provider who volunteers at the trauma center supported by Open Doors.
"When Rifkatu first came to the center, she came as an angry person," says Asebe. "She had lost hope in life."
Slowly, God began to work in Rifkatu's spirit.
"Something I will never forget is taking our pains to the cross," she says. "Everyone wrote their pains on a piece of paper. We sang songs and burned our pieces of paper at the cross. They told us as the ashes go up, our pains are going up to God."
Seeing such a change in Rifkatu persuaded Zamai also to accept trauma care.
"I made up my mind that if God will allow me to meet [the militants] face to face, either they will overpower me and kill me, or I will kill them," he says. "But when I came for the training, they taught us forgiveness, and how we can forgive others."
Rifkatu's journey to healing is far from over. She and Zamai still need the prayers and support of their global Church family as they rebuild their lives, their family and their future. And there are many more Christian women like Rifkatu across sub-Saharan Africa who need help.
"We want our voices, these women's voices, to be heard," says Asebe. "Let the world know what is happening to Christian women in Nigeria."
According to Open Doors research, more Christians are killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined. This is why Open Doors has begun the multi-year Arise Africa campaign. Jihadist violence continues to escalate in Nigeria, and Christians are at particular risk from targeted attacks by Islamic militant groups including Fulani militants, Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province).
Open Door's 2025 World Watch List shows that, at a minimum, 1,700 Christians in sub-Saharan Africa were sexually assaulted or harassed just from November 2023 to October 2024. These are likely significantly low numbers, as the stigma around this kind of violence means reports are rare and can be difficult to verify.
For 70 years, Open Doors has strengthened Christians in the world's most dangerous and restricted countries—places where other organizations cannot operate. Through decades of building trust and providing long-term, holistic support, we work with Christians in places like North Korea, Afghanistan, and Somalia.
Today, will you stand alongside Asebe, Rifkatu, and her daughter? Here are three ways you can stop the violence and start the healing:
*Names changed for security reasons.
