Nigeria: Over 3,000 Christians killed in eight months

A report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) indicates that between January and August 2026, 3,083 Christians were killed and 3,193 were kidnapped in Nigeria. The violence is attributed largely to jihadist groups.

According to the data, 400 churches were attacked during this eight-month period, and 25 priests or pastors were killed or abducted. The months of July and August saw particularly high levels of violence, with 437 deaths and 393 kidnappings reported.

The conflict is most intense in the Middle Belt, the central region where the Muslim-majority north meets the Christian-majority south. In Taraba State, specifically within the Wukari Diocese, approximately 239 religious buildings were attacked or destroyed between September 2025 and August 2026. This has resulted in the displacement of nearly 100,000 people and the dispersal of over 200 Christian communities. Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of Makurdi has characterized the ongoing situation as a calculated strategy of Islamization.