“Jesus said, Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.” – Matthew 24:9
“When he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held.” – Revelation 6:9 & 20:4
THE CHRISTIAN POST reports: In the face of growing global apathy, the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Christ continues to be a tragic reality in Nigeria. As the Muslim Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram terrorists rampage across the country, Christians find themselves caught in the crossfire, bearing the brunt of a deadly campaign of violence and persecution.
The statistics are staggering: According to some reports, at least 4,000 Christians were killed in Nigeria in 2021 alone. This number, which includes both targeted attacks and collateral damage, represents a significant increase from the previous year and paints a grim picture of the ongoing persecution faced by believers in the region.
Here are some other shocking statistics, as summarized by Lisa Zengarini at Vatican News in April 2023, which used an Intersociety report on the plight of Christians in Nigeria:
▪︎ Over the past 14 years at least 52,250 Nigerian Christians have been brutally murdered at the hands of Islamist militants, more than 30,000 of whom during the eight-year presidency of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari.
▪︎ In the same period 18,000 Christian churches and 2,200 Christian schools were set ablaze.
▪︎ About 5-million Christians have been displaced and forced into Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps within Nigeria and refugee camps at regional and sub-regional borders.
The Fulani herdsmen, driven by their hatred for Christians, have been responsible for most of these attacks, often targeting Christian villages and communities. Their tactics range from arson and looting to mass kidnappings and forced conversions to Islam. Meanwhile, Boko Haram, an Islamic terrorist group, continues to wreak havoc in the northeastern part of the country, with a particular focus on targeting Christian communities.
Despite the severity of the situation, the international community has been slow to respond, with many governments and organizations turning a blind eye to the plight of Nigerian Christians. Even within the country itself, there is a concerning lack of awareness and concern for the suffering of these communities.
Writing on X (formerly Twitter) author Nancy Pearcey asked, “Why is the Biden administration turning a blind eye to persecution of Christians?” She goes to quote from an article by Family Research Council’s Washington Stand, “Despite 52,000 Deaths, Biden’s State Dept. Leaves Nigeria Off Religious Freedom Watch List for 3rd Year,” that notes:
“For the third consecutive year, the Biden administration’s Department of State has left Nigeria off of its list of ‘Countries of Particular Concern,’ a list that catalogues the countries around the world that have perpetrated or tolerated “particularly severe violations of religious freedom.” The move comes despite the fact that Nigeria leads the world in the number of Christians that have been killed for publicly practicing their faith.”… (Continue reading)
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