Nigeria recorded 3,490 Christian deaths out of 4,849 killed worldwide for their faith between October 2024 and September 2025, accounting for 72 per cent of global cases, according to the Open Doors World Watch List 2026 report.
The report identifies Nigeria as the epicentre of Christian persecution, driven by jihadist groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP seeking an Islamic caliphate, alongside Fulani militants targeting Christian farming communities in the Middle Belt, where Christians face 2.7 times higher killing risk than Muslims.
Hardest-hit states include Benue with 1,310 Christian deaths versus 29 Muslims, Plateau recording 546 Christians against 48 Muslims, and Taraba with 73 Christians compared to 12 Muslims, highlighting disproportionate targeting amid broader insecurity.
Violence manifests through attacks by Fulani “bandits,” abductions, church demolitions, and forced displacement, with northern Nigeria under Islamic law posing extreme risks especially for converts from Islam.
The findings coincide with U.S. President Donald Trump’s Christmas Day 2025 airstrikes on IS militants in Sokoto State following criticism of Nigeria’s response, alongside Pope Leo XIV’s calls for religious freedom protection for both Christians and Muslims.
Nigeria ranks seventh globally for overall Christian persecution, contributing to 14 sub-Saharan African countries in the top 50 worst offenders, as 388 million Christians worldwide now face high persecution levels, up by 8 million.
The Nigerian government maintains the violence stems from general criminality and farmer-herder clashes rather than religious motives, a stance aimed at avoiding international sanctions. Open Doors warns of potential doubling of fatalities in 2026 without intensified action against militants operating with impunity.
