A report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) states that at least 7,087 Christians were killed in Nigeria during the first 220 days of 2025 — an average of 32 deaths per day. The findings were published on August 10, 2025.
Intersociety’s report also records 7,899 abductions targeting Christians during the same period. The organisation’s chairman, Emeka Umeagbalasi, attributed the violence to 22 jihadist groups operating across the country.
According to Intersociety, since 2009, approximately 185,009 Nigerians have been killed, including 125,009 Christians and 60,000 Muslims described as “liberal Muslims.” The group also reports the destruction of 19,100 churches, the displacement of over 1,100 Christian communities, and the abduction of more than 600 Christian clerics.
Nigeria remains the deadliest country in the world for Christians, according to international religious freedom monitors. The violence is primarily linked to Fulani militants, Boko Haram, and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
Once concentrated in the northern, Muslim-majority states, attacks have increasingly spread to the central and southern regions. Victims include men who are killed in raids and women who are abducted, sexually assaulted, or forced into marriage. Entire villages, churches, and farms have been destroyed, contributing to widespread displacement.
An estimated 16.2 million Christians across Sub-Saharan Africa, many from Nigeria, have been driven from their homes by extremist violence and conflict.
According to Open Doors’ annual World Watch List, more than 380 million Christians worldwide now face high levels of persecution—an increase of five million from the previous year. In other words, one in every seven Christians experiences discrimination or violence because of their faith.
Caldron Pool has long sounded the alarm over the persecution of Christians in Nigeria, yet the Western world remains largely indifferent. Our media stays silent, our politicians look the other way, and the public seems unconcerned about the ongoing atrocities. While the Israel–Gaza conflict dominates headlines—driven by relentless media coverage—the suffering of Nigerian Christians scarcely earns a mention. Why is that?
