In a recent report titled “Nigeria’s Christian Martyrs,” the InterSociety revealed that over the past 14 years, at least 52,250 Nigerian Christians have been murdered by Islamic extremists. This staggering statistic highlights the ongoing religious violence that has plagued the country, particularly since the emergence of the Boko Haram insurgency in 2009.
Lisa Zengarini reports that the rise of Boko Haram has led to the deaths of more than 50,000 Christians in Nigeria. InterSociety, a Nigerian non-governmental organization dedicated to monitoring religious persecution, has been tirelessly documenting these violent acts since 2010.
Deaths of Nigerian Christians Surge Since 2009
The study disclosed that an alarming number of over 52,250 Nigerian Christians have been brutally killed by Islamic extremists in the last 14 years. Notably, more than 30,000 of these fatalities occurred during the presidency of Muhammadu Buhari, who faced criticism for his administration’s inadequate response to the escalating security crisis.
Churches and Schools Targeted
In addition to the loss of life, the report indicates that 18,000 churches and 2,200 Christian schools were set ablaze during this period. Moderate Muslims have also been victims, with an estimated 34,000 killed in attacks linked to these extremist groups.
As of this year, more than 1,000 Christians have already been murdered, and the future for 2023 appears grim. The report further notes that at least 707 Christians were kidnapped, with Niger State suffering over 200 of those incidents. One particularly grievous incident occurred on March 14, 2023, when more than 100 Christians were abducted in Addunu (Paikoro).
Boko Haram and Fulani Extremist Violence
Nigerian Christians are facing threats not only from Boko Haram but also from Fulani Muslim nomads who have allied with these extremist groups. The result has been extensive displacement; an InterSociety report estimates that around five million Christians have been forcibly uprooted and now reside in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps throughout Nigeria and in refugee camps across regional borders.
International Perception of Persecution
The findings from InterSociety underscore Nigeria’s status as one of the most perilous countries for Christians in Africa. This assessment is echoed in the 2023 World Watch List released by Open Doors, a foundation that advocates for persecuted Christians globally. The report highlights that an astounding 89% of all Christian martyrs are from Nigeria.
Aid to Churches in Need (ACN) reinforces these alarming figures by providing a platform for the voices of countless persecuted Christians. In its latest annual report, ACN documented that over 7,600 Nigerian Christians were murdered between January 2021 and June 2022, emphasizing the dire circumstances faced by the Christian community in Nigeria.
