Nigerian human-rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law, Intersociety has claimed that no fewer than 400 Christians were killed by “Nigerian Government Protected Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen” in one month and 2, 259 killed since Jan 2021.

The rights group in its latest report alleged that Muslim dominated and controlled security forces accounted for ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ Christian deaths of not less than 50, noting that it is therefore correct to say that a that a total of no fewer than 4,002 Christians were hacked to death in Nigeria in the past seven months and eighteen days of 2021 or in a period of 231 days; involving Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen 2,259 deaths, Boko Haram, Jihadist Fulani Bandits, ISWAP and others 1,163 and Muslim dominated and controlled security forces 540 Christian deaths and 40 others representing “dark figures”.

The report indicated that Plateau State, particularly Bassa, Jos North and Jos South Local Government Areas accounted for the highest number of Christian deaths with at least 130, followed by Southern Kaduna especially Kaura Local Government Area with at least 110 Christian deaths.

Intersociety claimed that others with high number of Christian deaths are Benue 60 Christian deaths, Enugu 40 Christian deaths, Niger 40 Christian deaths (killed by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and Jihadist Fulani Bandits), Nasarawa five Christian deaths and others 40 Christian deaths.

It said the over 100 Christian deaths recorded in the hands of Boko Haram, ISWAP, Jihadist Fulani Bandits and others were majorly recorded in Borno, Adamawa, Taraba, Kaduna and Niger states.

The report explained stressed that at the state actor level, the ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ killing of no fewer than 50 Christians by Muslim dominated and controlled security forces was also found to have majorly taken place in Imo, Abia and the ‘Abuja Abattoir or killing field’ presently manned by the Nigeria Police Force Directorate of Bureau of Intelligence.

Intersociety revealed that not less than 80 detained Igbo Christians, arrested unarmed in different locations in the East especially in Imo, Abia and Anambra States; unlawfully detained and falsely accused and stigmatized, were recently executed in captivity; and out of this, 57 were slaughtered in a single night.

Giving instances of anti-Christian killings between 2nd and 14th August 2021: “Not less than 90 Christians were hacked to death by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen in Irigwe and Jebbu-Miango in Bassa Local Government of Plateau, out of which no fewer than 70 belonged to Irigwe Christian Community. In the reprisal killings by Muslim Jihadists following the Sat 13th August 2021 mob reprisal killing of 23 Fulani Muslims, not less than 20 more Christians have been killed and they included nine killed on Sunday, August 15 including three Christian students of UNIJOS killed same day and five killed on 17th August in Irigwe and four others abducted who have not seen since Sunday. On June 24, seventeen Christians were killed in the same Irigwe Christian Community. Twelve other Christians were also killed in Riyom part of the State on 1st August 2021. In Southern Kaduna, most of the 110 Christian deaths recorded in the past one month had taken place in Kaura Local Government with 68 deaths recorded as at last week. Other affected parts are Zango-Kataf, Kajuru and Jama’a, etc. In Benue State, among over 60 Christian deaths were eight killed in Guma on 19th July, thirteen killed on 20th July in the same area and four killed in Ado on 9th August 2021. In Niger State, where over 1,000 Christians have been recently uprooted in Sakaba and Wasagu areas of the State and forced into villages in Kamala Local Government Area of Kwara State, no fewer than forty Christians were hacked to death, cutting across other Christian areas in Rafi, Munya and Shiroro Local Government Areas of the State. The Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen had also on 17th June 2021 attacked and abducted an Igbo Christian medical doctor, Precious Emeka Chinedu in Salka Village, Magama Local Government Area in Niger State and later killed him in captivity.

“The Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen had also in past 30 days killed no fewer than 40 Igbo Christians in Igbo Land including twelve killed on 23rd July in Opanda Farm Settlement in Nimbo, Uzo-Uwani, nine killed in Eha-Amufu and eight killed on 3rd August in Okporkwu-Mgbuji Community, Eha-Amufu.

It would be recalled that the group had on 18th July 2021 released a special investigative report and found that in 200 days or 1st January to 18th July 2021, ‘no fewer than 3,462 Nigerian Christians were hacked to death by Jihadists and their collaborators or ‘esprit de jihad’ in the country’s security forces; involving: Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen at least 1,909 Christian deaths, Boko Haram, ISWAP and Muslim Fulani Bandits 1,063 Christians and Nigerian Army, joined by the Nigeria Police Force and other branches of the Armed Forces 490 Christian deaths, as well as additional 300 deaths representing about 10% of Christian deaths arising from possible deaths in the captivity from over 3000 abducted Christians.

It had also on 4th August 2021 issued another detailed report in which it found that 43, 000 Christians were killed by Nigerian Jihadists in 12 years with 18,500 others permanently disappeared, 17,500 churches attacked and 2,000 Christian schools lost.

The report further found that ten million Christians were uprooted in the North, six million forced to flee, over four million displaced and 29,000 moderate Muslims killed.

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