Nigeria: 43,000 Christians killed, 17,500 Churches attacked by Jihadists in 12 years

A Press release by International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Nigeria) says no fewer than 43,000 Christians were killed from July 2009 to July 2021; a period of twelve years.

The figure arises from the total jihadist killing of not less than 72,000 defenseless citizens. 

The killings is believed to have emanated from the propagation of radical Islamism in Nigeria.

The total number of moderate Muslims killed by Jihadists in the same pas 12 years is put at 29,000.

The 43,000 Christian deaths occurred following systematic and coordinated attacks majorly targeted at Christians by radical Islamists or Islamic Jihadists and their collaborators (‘esprit de jihad’) in the Nigerian security forces.

The Nigerian Jihadists also sparsely and collaterally target moderate Muslims as collateral mistakes or punishments of those collaborating with the ‘unbelievers’ or in revenge for state actor attacks against their targets, or  for purpose of enforcement of Islamic Sharia law or code.

The report further stated that the Islamic Jihadists and their ‘esprit de jihad’ in the Nigerian security forces have been responsible for at least 18,500 Christian deaths arising from enforced disappearances, or those abducted and most unlikely to return alive. 

“The 18,500 jihadist captivity slain Christians are out of estimated 26,000 of such deaths since 2009, put by a UN Agency in 2019 at “22,500”.

“Generally speaking, the total number of defenseless Nigerians abducted by the Jihadists since 2009 is put at 36,000, out of which 18,500 are Christians who are most unlikely to return alive.
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While most of the Muslims abducted by Jihadists in Nigeria are later released unconditionally to their families, most of their Christian counterparts are killed in captivity or forcefully converted to Islam.

“A typical case in point was the abduction of 276 Chibok Girls by BH on 14-15 April, 2014. Apart from 217 of them belonging to the Church of Brethren in Nigeria (EYN), they are still held and have been forcefully converted to Islam and married off by the Jihadists.

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law is a leading research and investigative rights group since 2008 and has monitored, investigated, documented and exposed religious persecution and other forms of religious violence by state and non state actors across Nigeria and beyond since 2010.
“Intersociety is also a strong exponent of international religious freedom and belief and has globally provided researched, investigated and reliable data on situation of Christians in Nigeria and beyond.

“We have also severally risen in strong defense and spoken out in favor of the persecuted minority Muslims especially the Shiites or Islamic Movement in Nigeria or IMN. Our data are gathered through verified information from the victims, eyewitnesses’ accounts, interviews, media tracking and analysis, credible local and international reports, state actor sources, etc. 

 ENDS