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Nigeria’s Christians and Moderate Muslims Face Rising Threats From Jihadist Violence: Intersociety Updates Report Covering 2009–2026
Across Africa, an estimated 750 million Christians live under mounting threats from jihadist violence, and in Nigeria alone, 113 million citizens face grave danger.
The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has now released three detailed graphic tables and an updated report documenting these threats from July 2009 to March 2026, warning of possible large-scale attacks that could escalate over the next century.
The updated report builds on the main release of February 25, 2026, which included a 15-page appendix of collected statistics. Intersociety researchers monitored, tracked, and analyzed thousands of incidents over more than 16 years, drawing on primary, secondary, and sub-secondary sources to provide a comprehensive account of the violence targeting Christians and moderate Muslims.
The three new graphic tables provide a clear visual understanding of the crisis:
Table 1 presents a projection of potential obliteration of Africa’s Christian population between 2075 and 2125, focusing on the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and Ethiopia—the continent’s largest Christian-majority countries.
Table 2 details killings, abductions, church destruction, population displacement, and clerical targeting in Nigeria from 2009 to early 2026, highlighting worst-affected states and regions.
Table 3 zooms in on the first 78 days of 2026, documenting attacks, killings, and abductions in real-time.
According to the updated findings:
Since July 2009, at least 190,150 Nigerians have been killed by jihadist violence, including 128,750 Christians and 61,400 moderate Muslims.
131,100 others have been abducted, including 81,100 Christians and 50,000 moderate Muslims.
The Boko Haram insurgency of 2009–2014 alone saw 30,000 people abducted and killed in captivity, including 3,000 Igbo Christians targeted across northern Nigeria.
Between 2015 and 2025, jihadist abductions claimed roughly 50,000 Christians, of whom only 20,000 were ransomed and freed.
Thousands escaped captivity, while others were killed or forced to convert to radical Islamism. By 2025 alone, 7,500 Christians were killed and 8,500 abducted.
The crisis has continued into 2026. Between January 1 and March 19, jihadists killed 1,050 Christians and 550 moderate Muslims, and abducted 1,690 Christians and 650 Muslims.
The Boko Haram attacks in Gwoza, Borno State, targeted returning Christian refugees from Cameroon, resulting in 250–300 massacred and 400 abducted. Other major incidents occurred in Benue, Adamawa, Plateau, and Southern Kaduna, including the killings of at least one Catholic priest and one pastor (Rev. Joshua Aliya).
“The scale of violence against Christians and moderate Muslims in Nigeria is alarming,” said Emeka Umeagbalasi, Criminologist-Researcher and Head of Intersociety. “Our graphic tables allow anyone to quickly understand the severity and geographic scope of these attacks, as well as the trends over time. The international community must act before these threats escalate further.”
Intersociety encourages governments, civil society groups, and international organizations to urgently intervene to protect vulnerable communities and prevent further humanitarian crises.
Access the updated report: Updated Report PDF
Access the graphic tables: Intersociety Website
