Christians being persecuted in Nigeria

[Jock Ewing Fan]

Over 7,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria in 2025 (in the first 220 days), according to a civil society watchdog

This is according to NGO International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), a Nigeria based human rights organization

As reported in Newsweek<

"The violence has displaced at least 12 million Christians since 2009, according to Intersociety. That year marked the start of Boko Haram's insurgency to establish a caliphate in Nigeria and the broader Sahel."

"In the 16 years since, Intersociety estimates that 189,000 civilians have been killed—125,000 of whom were Christians and 60,000 liberal Muslims"

'Nigeria has long been an epicenter of Christian persecution, with more Christians killed for their faith in Nigeria than in the rest of the world combined, according to human rights organization Open Doors, which monitors the persecution of Christians around the globe.'

"Nigeria is headquartering and providing safe haven for no fewer than 22 embryonic and full grown Islamic Terror Groups in Africa with links or potential links to ISIS, ISIL and World Jihad Fund," the report said."

"The Middle Belt and northern states are especially volatile, with Islamic militant groups like Boko Haram, Fulani extremists and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) targeting Christian communities through mass killings, kidnappings and church burnings."


Why is the mainstream media largely silent about this horror?

More bias against Christians and Catholics.?

Beyond Horrific and despicable, to say the least

7,000 Christians have been killed in Nigeria this year, group says

The violence has displaced at least 12 million Christians since 2009, according to Intersociety.

www.newsweek.com

 

[KayLloyd]

That's an excellent point. The mainstream media is complacent in the denial that there is a religious war against Christians and Jews going on and it's very alarming.

 

[Michelle Stevens]

This number of killings should be highlighted regardless of religion. Sadly northern Nigeria has always had issues with extremest.

 

[KayLloyd]

This number of killings should be highlighted regardless of religion. Sadly northern Nigeria has always had issues with extremest.

And it would be if they were Muslims, that's the point here, the mainstream media wouldn't be ignoring it. Martin Neimoller's wisely worded warning is particularly relevant in today's world:

"Then they came for the Jews,
And I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me,
And there was no one left to speak out for me."

 

[Jock Ewing Fan]

That's an excellent point. The mainstream media is complacent in the denial that there is a religious war against Christians and Jews going on and it's very alarming.

Yes. Even the lack of acknowledgement on this site is concerning. When Christians, Catholics and Jewish individuals are victims in these horrors, suddenly the
left goes silent

 

[Frank Underwood]

If the media's barely reporting on it, how is everybody on "the left" supposed to be aware of it? This is the first I've heard of it, and I certainly agree that it's horrific.

Sadly, religious persecution is nothing new. I was aware that it happens to Christians too, but I didn't know that persecution of Christians was prevalent in Nigeria. The media's primary focus has been on the Israel/Palestine conflict, and I've expressed compassion for the Jewish victims as well. At the same time, Netanyahu's a war criminal committing a genocide. What's been going on in Gaza for the past two years is far beyond a proportional response. I've never been silent about crimes against humanity, and I never will be.

 

[Angela Channing]

It's not been reported because it's black people who are being murdered and mainstream western media have a long history of ignoring stories about black people, particularly those who are in Africa. Contrast it to the widespread coverage given to the murders at a church in Utah, USA.

It really is nothing to do with the fact that Christians have been murdered. Can you remember when you last heard any news from Nigeria being reported?

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

It's not been reported because it's black people who are being murdered and mainstream western media have a long history of ignoring stories about black people, particularly those who are in Africa. Contrast it to the widespread coverage given to the murders at a church in Utah, USA.

In the States, the media is largely uninterested in black-on-black crime (unless rappers are involved). If a caucasian is the perpetrator, then it's more likely to get coverage (sometimes not if they're the victim). But that's in the last few years. It's changed.

Also, there has been precious little media sympathy for the tens of thousands of deaths, mostly children, in Gaza, still framing it as a "self-defense effort" by Israel. Accusing even Jews of "internalized Antisemitism" for speaking out about it... Contrary to reports, the pressure on campus is on the supporters of Palestinian rights not to be slaughtered by Zionists (and not the other way around).

 

[Barbara Fan]

Can you remember when you last heard any news from Nigeria being reported?

Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping 10 + years ago by sick men and in the name of religion ​

276 mostly christian, with some Muslim, schoolgirls aged from 16 to 18 were kidnapped by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram
Some were forced into marriage, raped and suffered greatly at the hands of Boko Haram = a very sick ideology and it continues to this day

We have a lot of Nigerian nurses in the NHS who were glad to leave their country as they say it is so corrupt from the top down.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Some were forced into marriage, raped and suffered greatly at the hands of Boko Haram = a very sick ideology and it continues to this day

Do you know what they did with the boys? Burned them to death -- because they knew no one would care. Only the kidnapped girls would generate any attention.

 

[Angela Channing]

Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping 10 + years ago by sick men and in the name of religion ​

276 mostly christian, with some Muslim, schoolgirls aged from 16 to 18 were kidnapped by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram
Some were forced into marriage, raped and suffered greatly at the hands of Boko Haram = a very sick ideology and it continues to this day

We have a lot of Nigerian nurses in the NHS who were glad to leave their country as they say it is so corrupt from the top down.

The last news story you can remember from Nigeria was over 10 years ago? Just goes to show how little Western media covers stories from that region.

I don't think we in the UK are in any position to point fingers at corruption in other countries when the level of corruption of last UK Government was off the scale. The UK Conservative government put in place VIP lanes to facilitate Covid contracts for their Tory mates which ripped off UK tax payers by more than £15 billion.

 

[Laurie!]

How about framing it as a war against innocent people? I'm so sick and tired of the us vs them BS. An innocent life lost is equally as tragic, no matter what religion or race the victim was.

 

[Frank Underwood]

The loss of any innocent lives is indeed tragic, but some people tend to care more when they share certain traits with the victims.

As far as Western media goes, they usually only report the slaughter of innocents abroad when Western governments have a stake in the outcome (like in Ukraine and Gaza.)

In the States, the media is largely uninterested in black-on-black crime (unless rappers are involved). If a caucasian is the perpetrator, then it's more likely to get coverage (sometimes not if they're the victim). But that's in the last few years. It's changed.

Yes, it's impossible not to notice. It's another divide and conquer tactic.

Also, there has been precious little media sympathy for the tens of thousands of deaths, mostly children, in Gaza, still framing it as a "self-defense effort" by Israel. Accusing even Jews of "internalized Antisemitism" for speaking out about it... Contrary to reports, the pressure on campus is on the supporters of Palestinian rights not to be slaughtered by Zionists (and not the other way around).

Yes, and you also have smug, neoliberals like Bill Maher and Jerry Seinfeld claiming that supporting Palestinian rights is akin to supporting the murder of Jews.