Shocking Report: Nigeria Leads in Christian Persecution – 2024’s Devastating Numbers
More Than 6,000 Christians Killed, Kidnapped, and Abducted in Nigeria in 2024
Imagine this: 3,100 Christians killed. 2,830 kidnapped. But the truth is you don’t have to imagine, that is the reality in Nigeria for 2024 alone. These aren’t just numbers—they are real lives being destroyed in Nigeria, a country where religious violence is spiraling out of control. These staggering figures come from Open Doors’ latest World Watch List report for 2024, which once again places Nigeria at the forefront of Christian persecution worldwide.
Yet, despite these horrifying statistics, the world remains disturbingly silent.
This shocking violence is perpetrated by Jihadi groups that target Christians, subjecting them to brutal killings, abductions for ransom, and forced conversions. And while this bloodshed continues, the global response has been nothing short of pathetic, complete silence. The UN, human rights organizations, and the media have largely continue to turn a blind eye.
In a horrifying incident in March 2024, extremist groups in northern Nigeria kidnapped approximately 687 people, including women and children. Since 2000, in Nigeria, more than 62,000 Christians have been mercilessly slaughtered in the past decades by groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP. Entire villages are wiped off the map, churches turned to ash, and families left broken and buried.
Nigeria’s not alone in its suffering, though. Open Doors has documented that over 380 million Christians worldwide experience at least a "high level" of persecution and discrimination because of their faith. This includes countries like North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, and Sudan, where Christians face some of the highest levels of violence and oppression. Yet, where is the outcry from international organizations? Where are the actions to protect religious minorities?
And you can’t ignore the hundreds of billions funneled to these terrorists by USAID. Recent reports have surfaced documenting how the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have funded terrorist organizations, including Boko Haram, through disguised as “humanitarian aid” programs in regions like northeastern Nigeria. Claims that have triggered an investigation by the Nigerian Parliament into the reports. U.S. Congressman Scott Perry claimed that approximately $697 million annually, along with cash shipments, were funneled to ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, and other extremist groups.
A new study from the Middle East Forum, documenting how, over the past decade, substantial amounts of U.S. federal funding have ended up in the hands of Islamist groups—both foreign and domestic. The multi-year study was the result of MEF research and advocacy seeking USAID reform and going back to the Obama administration. Over $164 million in approved grants—$122 million of which ended up supporting radical and terror-tied organizations—were funneled through USAID’s foreign aid program. This includes entities linked to Hamas, Hezbollah, and Al-Qaeda affiliates.
Shockingly, the U.S. has become one of the largest financiers of global Islamism, despite its professed efforts to combat terrorism.
This situation raises a critical question: Why is there such deafening silence on Christian persecution? Why do the UN, human rights organizations, and the media continue to ignore the plight of Christians and other religious minorities who are being slaughtered by extremist groups worldwide? These atrocities are hidden behind a veil of indifference, buried beneath a constant stream of irrelevant news and a sick obsession with Israel. Why is the murder of 3,100 Christians and kidnapping of 2,830 more in Nigeria not headline news? Why aren’t the bodies of men, women, and children, slaughtered in cold blood, seen for the horrific tragedy that they are? The suffering of these people is being ignored, and every moment of silence only allows these atrocities to continue unchecked.
The United Nations, In their latest statement, marking the International Day for the Prevention of Violent Extremism, claimed the reason for radical jihadism was due to "inequality and injustices,” justifying the crimes and trying to turn the murderers into victims.
As Cristian Nani, Director of Open Doors Italy, stated,
“380 million Christians in the world do not enjoy the basic human right to believe what they want. How many more killed, displaced, abused, and imprisoned Christians do we need to count before we put religious freedom at the center of public debate?”
Nani’s words are a call to action. Religious freedom is a fundamental human right, and yet, as Open Doors reports, 1 in 7 Christians worldwide suffer discrimination or persecution because of their faith. Inaction at the global level is not just a missed opportunity—it is complicity in the face of atrocity.
The Nigerian crisis, and similar situations across the world, demand immediate attention. The international community must stop turning a blind eye to the violence and start addressing it head-on. Governments, NGOs, and the media must unite in advocating for religious freedom and standing up for the countless lives being destroyed by extremist violence.
This isn’t just a fight for justice; it’s a fight for basic human dignity. Will the world respond before it’s too late, or will the silence continue, leaving millions of Christians to suffer in the shadows?
Ignored and Forgotten: The Unspoken Genocide of Christians in Africa
The brutality being inflicted on Christians across Africa and the Middle East is beyond comprehension—and yet, the silence from the international community is not just passive; it is complicit, shameful, and unforgivable. In Nigeria alone, more than 62,000 Christians have been mercilessly slaughtered in the past decades by groups like Boko Haram and ISW…
Time for another crusade?
The question I keep pondering is - cui bono? Who benefits? The US declares solidarity with Israel, “our only ally”, supports them with the left hand, while handing out money, weapons and cover to the Jihadis with the right. Is it economics? Is it stupidity? Is it conflicting worldviews in different administrations? Woefully blind or menacingly calculated? These are the questions that need answering. It’s not by accident, it’s by design.