Nigeria. Where martyrs for their faith are counted by the thousands
The data on the persecution of Christians in Nigeria is simply terrifying. According to Open Doors organization, which has monitored the situation of Christians worldwide for decades, Nigeria ranks first in the world for the number of people killed for their faith.
This week, for a brief moment, the eyes of the international media turned to Nigeria. In most coverage, one question dominated: what is actually happening there? Until now, Nigeria has not been mentioned frequently in the context of terrorism – certainly not as often as countries in the Middle East. For many, it could be shocking to learn that several thousand people are killed in Nigeria each year simply because they go to church on Sundays.
The Open Doors foundation, mentioned above, was founded in 1955 by the Dutch missionary Andrew van der Bijl. It is worth mentioning as a historical note that in the 1950s he travelled to Eastern Bloc countries – including communist-ruled Poland – smuggling Bibles. Today, Open Doors is an international organization that, among other things, monitors the persecution of Christians worldwide. Its annual reports show the scale of the problem, especially in relation to what is happening in Nigeria. It turns out that as many as 80–90% of all victims of religiously motivated attacks are residents of that African country.
Over the last years, the figures are as follows:
2021 – 4761 total victims, 3530 in Nigeria
2022 – 5898 total victims, 4650 in Nigeria
2023 – 5621 total victims, 5014 in Nigeria
2024 – 4476 total victims, ~3100 in Nigeria
These figures include only cases confirmed by Open Doors. How many atrocities have gone uncounted – because there were no witnesses or because incidents were recorded as a “simple act of banditry or terrorism”? It is hard to say. What is clear, however, is that 2025 looks even worse: estimates indicate that in the first half of the year about 7,000 people were killed in Nigeria. These estimates come from an EU body.
Apart from the death toll, there are also statistics on kidnappings. Here, Nigeria is near the top of the rankings as well. For example, a 2023 report covering 2022 found that nearly 90% of all kidnappings of Christians worldwide occurred in Nigeria (4,726 out of 5,259). Most victims are abducted for ransom. The kidnappers often demand sums that are astronomical by local standards – sometimes $5,000, other times $10,000. Most families cannot afford to pay such amounts, and hostages are therefore often killed. Clergy are among the frequent targets. In a few cases they are freed, but that is very rare.
Hopefully it’s not all talk and no action
The main threat comes from Boko Haram, the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Fulani militias. These groups operate primarily in northern Nigeria and the so-called Middle Belt. In recent years, they have also appeared in neighboring Niger and Cameroon. Their expansion poses a real threat to Europe as well. Think back what it looked like when ISIS was at the height of its power: its targets were not only Iraq and Syria but Western Europe as well. We remember the attacks in Paris, Berlin, Nice, and Manchester. No one wants a repeat of that.
The current attention around Nigeria will most probably fade quickly. Soon another story from somewhere else in the world will replace it, and the media will forget it ever covered Nigeria. Hopefully enough people have learned about the situation for aid to make its way there. We have been active in Nigeria for the past two years, assisting victims of attacks in the Plateau region in central Nigeria. We continue to report on the current situation on our website and social media. We show that even at low cost we can make a real difference for those who have suffered. We hope more people will join us – the needs are immense, and the aid provided is still far from sufficient.