The killing of Christians in northern Nigeria has increased by 62% in just one year.
There’s been a staggering 62% increase in violent killings of Christians in northern Nigeria as churches in Nigeria unite to highlight this problem for the first time.
A partner director for West Africa says: “The extent and impact of the persistent violence on the church in northern Nigeria is much more serious than previously expected. Once Boko Haram is defeated, the problem will not be solved. Christians living under Sharia law are facing discrimination and marginalization and have limited to no access to federal rights. We hope that this report will prompt the Nigerian government and international community to take the real suffering of persecuted Christians seriously and act on their behalf. Next to that, I hope that Nigerian Christians will become more involved with their brothers and sisters; that they will stand in the gap for them.”
Persecution persists from three main sources: Boko Haram, Muslim Fulani herdsmen and the Muslim religious and political elite that dominates government in northern Nigeria.
In 2015, there were 4,028 killings and 198 church attacks. The figures recorded for the previous year were 2,484 killings and 108 church attacks.
An estimated 30 million Christians in northern Nigeria form the largest minority in a mainly Muslim environment. They are at risk of violent persecution.
