A group, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), says over 4,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria in the first 10 months of 2022, Christian Post reports.
It also said about 2,000 other Christians were abducted in the country within the same period of January to October.
The group, based in Anambra State, South East Nigeria, stated this in a report released recently. The organisation is headed by a Christian criminologist, Emeka Umeagbalasi.
According to the report, the Fulani herdsmen and Islamic terror groups were responsible for the killings of 2,650 persons out of the 4,020 deaths.
Intersociety further said the terror groups, namely Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), Boko Haram and Anasaru, were responsible for the death of 450 Christians while the bandits and their splinter groups account for 370 deaths.
It said the Fulani herdsmen and Fulani (Zamfara) bandits and other jihadist groups that are “Nigerian government friendly” abducted more than 2,315 Christians out of which, 1,401 were abducted were abducted between January and June, and 915 between July and October.
The group said of the 2,315 Christians that were abducted, about 10 per cent or 231, may never return to their families because of their circumstances or have mostly likely been killed in captivity for their refusal to convert to Islam or inability to pay huge ransoms demanded.
It further said that on the average, as per the statistics, over 400 Christians were killed and 231 other abducted per month, or 13 deaths and eight abduction reported per day.
In 2021, Intersociety had reported that 3,462 Christians were killed in Nigeria in the first six months of that year. It said 10 priests were among the victims while about 300 churches were either threatened, attacked, closed or destroyed within the period.
The group said no fewer than 350 Christians were killed in the country in the first two months of 2020.
US-based Christian watchdog, Open Doors, has repeatedly rated Nigeria listed Nigeria as one the worst 50 countries it is difficult to practice Christianity.