No fewer than 8,222 Christians were killed and another 8,400 abducted in Nigeria between January 2023 and January 2024, a group has said.
International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), in a new report, blames the deaths on various extremist groups such as Fulani herdsmen, Boko Haram as well as the country’s security forces.
Most hit, according to the report titled “Jihadist Genocide of Christians in Nigeria Bloodiest in 2023: 8,222 Hacked to Death from Jan – Jan,” are the North central states Benue, Plateau, Niger and Kaduna in the north west zone.
Intersociety, led by Emeka Umeagbalasi, a lawyer, said there were 1,450 killings in Benue followed by Plateau State with 1,400 deaths. It also said 822 Christians were killed in Kaduna State while 730 were butchered in Niger State.
It said most of the 8,400 Christians abducted did not return alive. About 70 Christian clerics were abducted with about 25 killed by their abductors.
The group reported that 500 churches were attacked in 2023 resulting in 18,500 churches attacked in the Africa’s most populated country since 2009.
Below are the statistics unveiled by the group.
- 1,450 Christian Deaths In 2023 In Benue, 1,400 In Plateau, 822 In Kaduna, 730 In Niger, Etc
- 8,400 Christians Abducted In 2023 And 840 Never Returned Alive From Captivity
- Military, Police Abducted 800 In 2023 In South-East Who Never Returned Alive Till Date
- Jihadist Herdsmen Abducted 1,000 Easterners In 2023 In The East And Slaughtered 600 In Captivity
- Islamic Terror Jihadists Abducted 1,300 In 2023 In Niger, 1100 In Kaduna And 400 In FCT, Etc
- 500 Churches Attacked In 2023 And 18,500 Since 2009
- 70 Christian Clerics Abducted In 2023 And At Least 25 Killed
- 300 Christian Communities Sacked In 2023 And More than 1,100 Since 2009
- 50m Christians Religiously Threatened Mostly In The North Since 2009, Millions Forced To Flee
- 15m Christian IDPs Generated And Hundreds Of Thousands Crossed Int’l Borders
- 3m IDPs In Benue Alone With Old Millions In Borno, Adamawa, Taraba And Yobe
- Fresh Millions Of IDPs Risen In Niger, FCT, Nasarawa, Kogi, Ondo, Enugu, Etc
US-based Christian watchdog, Open Doors, said in its 2024 Watch List, released in January, a conservative estimate of 4,998 Christians were killed worldwide in 2023.
It also said in Nigeria, which ranked sixth among the 50 nations where it is difficult to follow Jesus, 13 Christians were killed daily.