A group, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, says about 1,200 Christians were killed in the first half of 2020.
Quoting the Nigerian Voice, Christian Today reports that the group stated this in a report just released.
It said the killings were carried out by Islamist militants and members of predominantly Muslim Fulani group.
The group said in the report that 390 of the victims were slaughtered by the Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, both of which have links with ISIS while the Fulani herdsmen killed 812 others.
It further said the herdsmen targetted Christian farming communities.
It said, “Thousands of defenceless Christians who survived being hacked to death have also been injured and left in mutilated conditions with several of them crippled for life.
“Hundreds of Christian worship and learning centres have been destroyed or burnt; likewise thousands of dwelling houses, farmlands and other properties belonging to Christians.”
The group said Christians are mainly the target of the Fulani herdsmen and not the widely-held speculation that the attacks are part of a dispute over land.
“All the areas under the Jihadists Herdsmen attacks are Christians communities, as to date,” it said.
“There are no pieces of evidence anywhere showing killing of Muslins and taking over their lands, farmlands and houses or destruction or burning of mosques by the Jihadist Herdsmen.”
The group also said there is a rapid rise in the abduction of girls and women, noting that the abductee women always hardly escape from their abductors and are forced to convert to Islam and married to Muslims while others are used as sex slaves.
“In other words, Nigeria’s genocidal and atrocious Jihadists including Jihadist Herdsmen and Boko Haram/ISWAP have rapidly increased their rate of abduction of the reference females, both legally married and unmarried. Such abducted women hardly return when abducted, “the group said.
In its report last January, Open Doors USA, ranked Nigeria 12th among 50 nations of the world where Christians are most persecuted.