Several concerning figures regarding the situation in Nigeria were recently revealed in a report that was published on April 10. At least 52,250 Christians have perished during the previous 14 years as a consequence of their faith. The paper “Martyred Christians in Nigeria,” was released by the Eastern Nigeria-based International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law.
The Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, seated and took his position in 2015, and a shocking 30,250 Christians lost their lives in the following three years. The report attributes this alarming death toll to Buhari’s ardent Islamism. Despite the violence the Christians face, an estimated 34,000 to 36,000 moderate Muslims have also experienced violence.
The Tragedy Christians in Nigeria Are Facing
According to National Catholic Reporter, unfortunately, 2023 is no different from the recent years that Christians have been experiencing. From January 1 to April 10, the first 100 days of the year, 1,041 helpless and innocent Christians were murdered, according to the report. At least 707 Christians were taken hostage during the time period.
The life of the Christians has gotten worse during President Buhari’s government, with 18,000 churches and 2,200 Christian schools being burned down. In some areas, the situation for Christians has become quite awful, with severe implications for many people in general. Simply because they are Christians, almost 50 million people face tremendous dangers from Islamists, especially in Northern Nigeria. Fourteen million people have been uprooted, with 8 million having to flee their homes to avoid a terrible conclusion.
According to Andrew Boyd, who talked with OSV News, Christians in Nigeria suffer daily threats from various groups, including Boko Haram, the Islamic State, and well-armed Fulani extremists. The article in NZCatholic states that the Fulani, traditionally pastoralists, have joined more and more Islamist extremist organizations.
Boyd warned that there would be a mass flight of Christians from the most populous country in Africa if the new president of Nigeria doesn’t take fast action to safeguard them from Islamic violence. Additionally, he stated how his group works with regional associates in Nigeria to support the persecuted Christians.
Nigeria, One of the Top Christians Persecutors in the World
Ranking number 28, Nigeria is among the most dangerous countries in the world for practicing Christianity, according to the Open Doors Watch List 2023, which was published on January 17. The analysis shows that 89% of all Christian martyrdoms worldwide occur in Nigeria, highlighting the gravity of the problem.
The suffering of the hundreds of Nigerian Christians facing persecution for their faith has also been supported and assisted by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). According to Catholic Review, Maryamu Joseph, who was only seven years old at the time of Boko Haram’s horrific attack on her town in Bazza, is one such example. She was kidnapped with 21 others and forced to spend nine years in the Sambisa Forest. In July 2022, Maryamu was able to escape, and she told ACN about her terrifying ordeal.
Maryamu described the extreme hardship and torture she and the other captives experienced during their nine-year confinement. They saw ruthless radicals without regard for human life and viciously executed innocent Christians. Maryamu insisted that she would never be able to forget the horrifying events of those nine years spent in the Sambisa Forest and that she could not sufficiently express how much she had suffered in words.
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