Upwards of 2,200 Nigerian Christians have been hacked to death this year alone and 34,400 since 2009, according to a Special Report released on Sunday, December 13, 2020 by the Int’l Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law (Intersociety).

The 11-page special report on “New wave of anti Christian butcheries in Africa’s Coastal Christian States and Nigeria” names the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Nigerian Government as “remote drivers of anti-Christian butcheries in Nigeria”. It also exposed a “new wave of anti Christian butcheries in Africa’s Coastal Christian States and Nigeria”.

The special report was researched and compiled for Intersociety by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Criminologist & Graduate of Security Studies and Intersociety Board Chair; assisted by Barr Chinwe Umeche, Barr Chidimma Udegbunam, Barr Obianuju Igboeli, Barr Ndidiamaka Chinaza Bernard and Comrade Samuel Kamanyaoku.

It was released in commemoration of this year’s 72 World Human Rights Day, a weeklong global event that officially commenced on Thursday, 10, Dec 2020.

Below is an excerpt of the Executive Summary:

“Death Of 2,200 Nigerian Christians In 2020: From Jan 2020 to this 13^th Dec 2020, Intersociety has statistically found that as much as or not less than 2,200 Christians are most likely to have been killed in Nigeria and out of this figure, Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen is responsible for as much as or not less than 1,300 Christian deaths, followed by Boko Haram and its splinter groups (ISWAP and Ansaru) with 500 Christian deaths, Nigerian Army 200 Christian deaths and Jihadist “Bandits” 100 Christian deaths. The 500 Christian deaths by Boko Haram and its splinter groups, arrived at using 60% Muslim and 40% Christian casualty calculation or ratio, had arisen from estimated 1,200 defenseless civilians killed by the jihadists from 1^st Jan to 13^th Dec 2020. In other words, Nigeria in 2020 has lost average of six Christians per day and 180 per month.

“It is strongly and circumstantially suspected that the Nigerian security forces particularly the Army, the Police, the Spy Police and the country’s non state actor jihadists have in this 2020 carried out as much as or not less than 100 secret executions, done on the grounds of ethnicity and religion; involving those secretly arrested or abducted and taken into their secret detention facilities or camps manned by the jihadists from where they were likely to have been secretly executed. The addition of this figure therefore brings the total number of defenseless citizens killed this year (2020) on religious and ethnicity grounds by Nigerian security forces and Islamic Jihadists to 2,200. This figure is subject to further updates in the remaining eighteen days of 2020, if the killings are continued.

“The targeted and systematic killing of Christians in 2020 by the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen, leading to as much as or not less than 1,300 Christian deaths had occurred in Southern Kaduna which recorded the highest number with at least 455 Christian deaths, followed by Benue State with 200 deaths, Plateau State 173, Niger State 70, Kogi State 55, Nasarawa State 42, Adamawa State 40, Igbo Land including Igbo parts of Delta and Benue 40, Taraba State 32, Southwest Region about 35, non Igbo parts of Delta 20, Edo State 15 and Bayelsa State 4. The 1,300 Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen massacred Christians include at least 50 abducted Christians, mainly abducted about five months ago in Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen attacks on Christian settlements and farmlands in Kaduna as well as addition of ‘dark figure’ of 70. The “dark figure”, a valid research principle in criminology, represents those Christians killed but went unreported or not documented.

“Statistical Instances Of Recent Jihadist Herdsmen Killings

“Among the recent killings by the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen are: Kefas Malachy Bobai, 30years and Miss Takama Paul, 16 years old student, killed on 18^th August in Gora Ward, Zagon Kataf Local Government Area (LGA), Kaduna. On 17^th August, Bulus Joseph, 48 years, was killed in his farm in Sabon Gida Idon along Kaduna-Kachia Road in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. On 16^th August, Pastor Adalchi Usman was killed in Kajuru LGA, Kaduna State. Citizens Mariah Na’Allah, Shekari and Ezekiel Maikasa also met their untimely death same day and a driver, Citizen Danlami Dariya was abducted and disappeared. On same 16^th August, Christian Village Head of Bugai, near Banikanwa in Kachia LGA, Mr. Dan’azuumi, 67 years of age and his siblings: Aniya Musa, Kande Musa- his 97 years old mother and Angelina Irmiya, his 45 years old younger sister, were also killed.

“On 6^th Sept, 2020, Rev Alubara Audu, Adamu Tata and Ishaku Peter were killed in Buda Ward, Kajuru LGA in Kaduna State. On 26^th Oct, Mr. Kaduna Garba, an Adara Christian native, was killed as well as Citizen Dachomo Alamba, a native of Atyap and five other Christians from same area were all killed by the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen. On 29^th Nov 2020, six Christians were hacked to death by the Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen in Ungwan Bido in Jema’a LGA, Kaduna State and their names were given as: Silas Maman, Malaki Tabat, Geofrey Andrew, Annah Ahmadu, Sunday Tagwah and Fidelis Musa. Houses belonging to Adamu Mangai, Gideon Nuhu, Andrew Adamu and Alphonsus Michael were razed while two children: Rebecca Andrew and Clement Andrew got abducted. On Friday night, 11^th Dec 2020, around 11pm, Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen attacked Tse-Angbande Community in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State and killed at least four Christians who were members of the same family. Their names were given as: Timothy Emberga Akwa, Innocent Akwa, Terhemba Akwa and an in-law, simply identified as Orban. These instances are just to mention but a few.

“Death Of 34,400 Nigerian Christians Since 2009

“From the killing of Christians in Nigeria monitored and investigated through open and closed sources by Intersociety in the past ten years or since 2010, the anti Christian killings which majorly started in July 2009 have as at this date, 13^th Dec 2020 led to estimated 34,400 Christian deaths. This figure includes 1,400 Christians massacred since August 2015 by the country’s security forces particularly the Army, Police and Air Force. On the other hand, this number did not include over 12,000 Christians who formed over half of internationally estimated 24,000 abducted and disappeared persons who went missing since 2009 same year Boko Haram launched its uprising against Christians and then Government of Nigeria. Boko Haram and its splinter jihadist groups, excluding Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen, have been accused of killing not less than 39,000 defenseless civilians in Nigeria since 2009.

“Boko Haram & Ors Have Killed 17,000 Christians Since 2009

“Over 17,000 defenseless Christians have been hacked to death since July 2009 by Boko Haram and its splinter groups, out of which, 8,370 were members of the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, a dominant church in the Boko Haram insurgency affected States of Taraba, Adamawa, Yobe and Borno. The remaining 8,630 slain Christians are spread among other Christian denominations dominant in the Boko Haram insurgency affected areas and among them are Catholics, Anglicans, Pentecostals and members of ECWA and African Instituted Churches. Specifically, Boko Haram jihadists killed estimated 11,400 Christians between July 2009 and Jan 2014 and over 6,200 between Jan 2015 and 13^th Dec 2020. In 2020 alone, estimated 500 Christians have been hacked to death by the Jihadist Sect and its splinter groups.

“Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen Have Killed 15,500 Christians Since 2010

Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen, on their part, were responsible for death of estimated 6,000 Christians between Jan 2010 and Dec 2014 and between 9,500 between Jan 2015 and 13^th Dec 2020; totaling 15,500 Christian deaths in ten years or since 2010. In 2020 alone, Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen have been responsible for death of as much as or not less than 1300 Christians.

“Jihadist “Bandits” Have Killed 500 Christians Since 2016

“The Jihadist “Bandits” have been responsible for estimated 500 Christian deaths in the past four years or since 2016. In this 2020, not less than 100 Christian deaths have also been recorded in their butchery hands.

“Nigerian Army, Police & Air Force Have Killed 1,400 Judeo-Christians Since 2015

“The Nigerian security forces particularly the Army, Air Force and Police have killed on religious and ethnicity grounds a total of 1,400 defenseless Judeo-Christians in five years or since August 2015 and among them are not less than 200 shot and killed in 2020 alone. Not less than 800 others were also shot and deadly injured and among them, dozens have been crippled for life.

“Possible Secret Execution Of 100 Nigerian Christians In 2020 By Government & Jihadists

“From our advocacy observation concerning the hate conducts of the Nigerian security forces, heavily Muslim dominated, it is strongly and circumstantially suspected that the country’s Army, Police and Spy Police; joined by the non state actor jihadists have in this 2020 carried out as much as or not less than 100 secret executions, targeting citizens of Judeo-Christian faith.”

Update news