For information about Orthodox Christianity in Nigeria, see here. See a video about the persecution of Christians in Nigeria here.
“Over 16,000 Christians killed in 4 years as violence in Nigeria continues unabated: observatory,” by Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post, August 31, 2024:
More than 16,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria in four years between 2019 and 2023 as more followers of Christ were victims of violence than adherents of other religions, according to data collected by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa. ORFA released a four-year data project Thursday documenting 55,910 fatalities from 9,970 attacks, including both civilians and combatants, across Nigeria. Of those killed, 30,880 were civilians. Christian victims totaled 16,769, significantly outnumbering the 6,235 Muslim fatalities — the ratio of Christian to Muslim deaths being 6.5:1. Radicalized Muslim Fulani herdsmen were responsible for 55% of the Christian deaths. “For over a decade atrocities against civilians in Nigeria have been downplayed or minimized. This has proved a major obstacle for those seeking to understand the violence,” the researchers wrote in the 136-page report shared with The Christian Post. “Misleading euphemisms, such as ‘armed herdsmen’ and ‘cattle grazers’ are used to describe continual waves of invasion, torture and killing in rural communities. Descriptions of attacks as ‘ethnic clashes,’ ‘farmers-herders clashes’ or retaliatory attacks are seriously misleading.” Another frequent term used to describe militias that carry out mass kidnappings and enforce “serfdom” on communities is “bandits,” the report warns, adding that “a policy of concealing the religious identity of victims” is distorting the reality of the situation. “Fulani Ethnic Militia are targeting Christian populations, while Muslims also suffer severely at their hands,” notes Rev. Gideon Para-Mallam, an observatory partner and analyst, said in a statement. “Millions of people are left undefended,” Frans Vierhout, senior analyst at the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa, added. “For years, we’ve heard of calls for help being ignored, as terrorists attack vulnerable communities. Now the data tells its own story.”…
