Nigeria has fully become a killing field of defenseless Christians. Available statistics have shown that no fewer than 11,500-12,000 Christian deaths were recorded in the past 57 months or since June 2015 when the present central Government of Nigeria came on board. Out of this figure, Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen accounted for 7,400 Christian deaths, Boko Haram 4000 and the ‘Highway Bandits’ 150-200.
While 100 percent of the victims of Jihadist Herdsmen attacks across Nigeria are Christians, the estimated 4000 Christians killed by Boko Haram were part of the estimated 6000 massacred by the sect since June 2015. Generally, many, if not most of the victims of Boko Haram/ISWAP attacks in Nigeria’s Northeast are Christians. On the part of ‘Bandits/Highway Kidnappers’ in Northern Nigeria, most of their rural victims are Muslims while many, if not most of their outlet or roadside victims are Christians traveling to Northern or Southern parts of the country using the Birnin-Gwari Federal Road, near Kaduna, etc.
Also, in the past two months or Jan and Feb 2020, no fewer than 350 Christian deaths have been recorded and between 100 and 150 Christian travelers abducted on highways. And out of the 350 Christian deaths, Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen accounted for no fewer than 250. Boko Haram and ‘Highway Bandits’ are responsible for the remaining 100 deaths. The Killings targeted at Christians in Nigeria have continued into the first week of March 2020 leading to hacking to death of over a dozen more.
Among the worst hit in the latest round of Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen attacks are Plateau State with 70-80 deaths, Kaduna 50 deaths, Kogi 30 deaths, Benue 15-20, Delta 16 and Taraba 10. Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen have also in the past two months of Jan and Feb 2020 carried out attacks in Nasarawa, Adamawa, Edo and other parts of the country, leading to death of dozens of Christians. The anti Christian attacks by Boko Haram since Jan 2020 have also intensified in Borno, Adamawa and Taraba States; claiming between 50 and 70 Christian lives and loss of churches and other buildings belonging to Christians, while those of “Highway Bandits/Kidnappers” included raiding and looting of Christian villages and ambushing of Christian travelers.
By the account of the Vanguard Newspaper, “320 persons were killed in Nigeria in the month of Jan 2020” and by that of Sahara Reporters, “223 persons died in Nigeria in the month of Feb 2020”. The 2019 Global Terrorism Index also stated that “2,040 persons (all Christians) were killed by radicalized Fulani militants in Nigeria in 2018 alone”. Intersociety, on its part, stated in March 2019 that ‘no fewer than 2400 defenseless Christians were hacked to death by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen in 2018 alone and in 2019; the number went down to between 1000 and 1,200 Christian deaths.’ This is just to cite but few.
In all, not less than 10, 475 Christians were hacked to death by non state actor Jihadists in the past 57 month, out of which Fulani Jihadists accounted for about 62% or 7,400 deaths. At the state actor level, the country’s security forces (Army, Air Force and Police) have benn responsible for 1,050 Christian deaths. All the deaths occurred outside the law and were perpetrated in gross violation of the international human rights and humanitarian laws. Till date, the perpetrators of these heinous crimes or atrocities have remained on the prowl.
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