![[LEFT] Reverend Father Ferdinand Ngugban, gruesomely murdered by Islamic Jihadists in Katsina-Ala, Benue State in March 2021 [MIDDLE] Reverend Father Alphonsus Bello, gruesomely murdered by Islamic Jihadists in May 2021 in Malumfashi, Katsina State [RIGHT] Reverend Father John Yaji, gruesomely murdered by Islamic Jihadists in Minna, Niger State in Jan 2021](https://i0.wp.com/news.band/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Killed-pastors.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1)
A report published by the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA), non state actors including Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), armed Fulani herdsmen and Bandits killed a total of 7,916 Christians and 2,235 Muslims in a period of two years, covering 2019 up till July 2021.
According to the report, Christians were disproportionally affected by killings in the context of attacks by Boko Haram, ISWAP, armed Fulani herdsmen and ‘bandits’.
The total number of Christians killed in the 2020 period was 3,613 and in the 2021 period 4,303. This gives an overall total of 7,916 Christians killed.
The total number of Muslims killed in the 2020 period was 1,005 and in the 2021 period 1,230. This gives an overall total of 2,235 Muslims killed.
ORFA, in the report, listed four key findings:
Section one contains summary data on killings in Nigeria’s geopolitical zones and states.
The data on killings shows that there is reason to believe that in Nigeria (especially in the northern states) jihadist-related actors are targeting Christians.
There is anecdotal evidence that the security forces tend not to give protection and sometimes even take part in the violence against Christians.
Section two shows summary data on abductions in Nigeria’s geopolitical zones and states.
The data on abductions confirms the impression that in Nigeria (especially in the northern states) jihadist-related actors are targeting Christians.
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Although at first sight it would seem that the number of Muslims and Christians abducted in the second reporting period were similar, further analysis shows that there is a significantly higher proportion of Christians being abducted than Muslims.
Section three distinguished attacks on communities from other forms of attack.
The data that distinguishes between attacks on communities and other forms of attack confirms the impression that in Nigeria (particularly in the northern states) jihadist-related actors are targeting Christians – especially by attacking their communities.
Everyone in Nigeria knows where the Christian communities are located. It is not simply a question of meeting people somewhere by chance and attacking them irrespective of their religious background.
Meanwhile, section four shows the spread of attacks over the year in perspective.
The data clearly shows that the majority of attacks with the highest number of killings take place in the farming season, though abductions are more reportedly equally spread over the year.
Attacks during the farming season have a greater impact on the lives of the victims than attacks at any other time.
This finding strengthens the suspicion that the attackers aim to kill or starve their victims, especially the Christians in northern Nigeria. Some call this “genocide by attrition”.
The report is the result of a two-year project of data-gathering by Nigerian partners on violence within the country.
Whereby the primary data is the main source, secondary data is also taken into account but only after verification by the project partners.
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The first phase of the project was from 1 October 2019 to 30 September 2020, and the second phase from 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021.
The project tried to be comprehensive in its registration of killings and did not limit itself to one religious group alone.
“However hard one tries, a data-gathering project like this one is never complete since much violence goes unreported.
“Nevertheless, the researchers trust the data supplied gives a balanced indication of the situation in the country over the reporting periods.
“The numbers supplied in this report are really just the ‘tip of the iceberg’. Incidents involving killings and abductions often represent a whole spectrum of violence and suffering: Communities raided and/or permanently occupied; women and girls raped and/or abducted; fields destroyed and/or occupied; people robbed of their property and livelihood; houses of worship abandoned, closed or destroyed; people driven from their homelands into dire situations of internal displacement,” the report stated. Read more.
For a detailed summary data on killings in Nigeria’s geopolitical zones and states, read or download the full report below:
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