Crisis in Nigeria: More Than 4,200 Christians Were Victims of Violence in 2026

According to a recent report by the American nonprofit organization Equipping the Persecuted (ETP), the security situation in Nigeria has reached a critical point. Between January 1 and September 8 of this year, 4,216 Christians were killed in the country, averaging about 17 deaths per day. As reported by Christian Today, the organization is calling for decisive measures to protect communities living in the Middle Belt region, which is subject to systematic attacks.

A report titled “The Crisis in the Middle Belt: Religious Persecution and the Failure of the Security System in Nigeria” emphasizes that violence against Christian farming communities is often misinterpreted as everyday land disputes. However, ETP researchers insist that the scale of the destruction, the burning of churches, and the mass displacement of people (more than five million) point to religiously motivated attacks organized by militants.

ETP experts attribute a significant portion of the violence to organized networks of Fulani militants, as well as to the activities of radical groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP). In addition to killings, kidnappings for ransom remain a serious problem, during which victims face torture, forced labor, and sexual violence.

The organization emphasizes that humanitarian aid for the victims is necessary but insufficient. The ETP insists on the need to ensure the safe return of displaced persons, restore property rights, and conduct intelligence operations against militant networks. The situation in Nigeria is also a cause for concern at the international level: The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has already recommended adding Nigeria to the list of countries of “particular concern” regarding religious freedom.