By BONIFACE AKARAH

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has raised the alarm over what it described as the recent killing of more than 200 moderate Muslims and scores of Christians in parts of Kwara and southern Katsina states, alongside the reported massacre of over 70 Christians and attacks on churches in the Chanchanji area of Taraba State.

Intersociety alleged state complicity and institutional failure in addressing religious violence in a statement issued Friday in Onitsha, jointly signed by its Head, Emeka Umeagbalasi; Human Rights Lawyer and Head of Campaign and Publicity, Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam; Civil Liberties Programme Head, Obiajunu Joy Igboeli; Deputy Head of International Justice and Human Rights, Ogochukwu Obi; and Field Documentation Head, Comrade Samuel Kamanyaoku.

The group said findings from local sources, including Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) leaders, showed that many victims in Kwara and Katsina were “members of non-violent Muslim population, massacred… for rejecting enslavement arising from radical Islamic indoctrinations and practices,” while confirming that Christian casualties were also recorded.

It further alleged that Nigerian authorities and sections of the media were “downplaying or ignoring” the reported killing of “no fewer than 70 defenceless Christians” and the destruction of churches in Taraba, warning that selective reporting of victims’ identities fuels “cultural violence amplification of religious genocide.”

According to Intersociety, “these latest killings in Kwara, Katsina and Taraba have further exposed inescapable complicity and gross incompetence of successive and present state actors in Nigeria since June 2015.”

Citing constitutional and international obligations, the organisation said Nigeria is bound to uphold religious freedom and human dignity, stressing that attacks on worshippers and sacred places “are serious breaches of international criminal law in the context of war crimes or crimes against humanity.”

The group argued that patterns of persecution in Nigeria involve both state and non-state actors, alleging that some extremist groups operate with protection or tolerance from authorities, a situation it said “seriously undermines any genuine effort at stamping out Islamic jihadism in the country.”

Rejecting official narratives that violence affects all faiths equally, Intersociety stated that such claims amount to “self-admission… that the Nigerian Government has failed woefully to protect members of its defenceless population of all faiths.”

Calling for accountability, the organisation questioned the absence of clear answers regarding perpetrators, victims, prosecutions, and justice, insisting authorities must urgently respond to the crisis.

It reaffirmed its long-standing advocacy for religious freedom, stating it has “remained focused and consistent in monitoring and tracking religious persecution in Nigeria since 2009,” while urging decisive national and international intervention to halt the killings.