Fact-check: Is Nigeria Responsible for 90% of Christians Killed Worldwide?
Claim: A viral claim has circulated, published by several media organizations, stating that Nigeria accounts for 90% of all Christians killed globally.
This claim prompted the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa to give President Donald Trump the green light to impose stringent sanctions on Nigeria in response to the alleged widespread killing of Christians in the country.
The decision followed a congressional hearing on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, during which lawmakers condemned the Nigerian government for failing to protect Christian communities from escalating violence.
The committee also cited a 2024 report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, which suggested that Nigerians account for 90 percent of all Christians killed worldwide each year.
Verification: To verify the veracity of the claim, PRNigeria fact-checked the information by consulting the Nigeria Security Tracker (NST), a project by the Council on Foreign Relations’ Africa program.
This tracker documents and maps violence in Nigeria motivated by political, economic, or social grievances. The data, updated through July 1, 2023, revealed significant limitations in relying solely on press reports of violence. The NST highlighted challenges such as imprecise death tolls, inconsistent incident reports, and the potential for political manipulation of media coverage. Despite these challenges, the NST made every effort to collect information from multiple sources.
The NST also provides data on the locations of attacks, including government offices, schools, banks, mosques, and churches.
The data indicated that from 2011 to 2020, there were 168 attacks on churches and 118 attacks on mosques in Nigeria. While the number of casualties from attacks on churches was recorded as 2,009, the number from mosque attacks was slightly higher at 2,242.
Further verification by PRNigeria also examined data from Open Doors, a global organization supporting persecuted Christians worldwide. Founded in 1955 by Brother Andrew, Open Doors works to raise awareness, provide resources, and encourage prayer and action for those facing persecution.
Open Doors’ World Watch List, which ranks the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution, places North Korea at the top of the list, with Nigeria ranked 7th.
The data from Open Doors clearly states that while fewer Christians are killed in Nigeria compared to some other regions, the country remains disproportionately deadly for Christians who are persecuted for their faith. The report also notes that more Christians are killed outside Nigeria, particularly in other sub-Saharan African countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burkina Faso, Cameroon, and Niger.
Top Five Most Dangerous Countries for Christians According to Open Doors:
North Korea: Christians discovered to be practicing their faith could face execution or imprisonment in labor camps.
Somalia: Following Jesus is a matter of life and death, with Christians facing extreme danger.
Yemen: In a country torn apart by civil war, life is extremely difficult for everyone, especially for Christians.
Libya: Following Jesus is risky, particularly for Christians from Muslim backgrounds who face violent pressure from their families and communities.
Sudan: Christians face persecution from all sides in the ongoing conflict, and Islamist extremists have targeted them, with more than 100 churches damaged and numerous abductions and killings.
PRNigeria also referenced data from East West, a global Christian association that profiles dangerous countries for Christians. East West’s top five most dangerous countries for Christians include:
North Korea, Somalia, Libya, Eritrea and Yemen. Nigeria was not also listed in the top five most dangerous countries for Christains to live.
According to Mahmut Cengiz – a research Scholar at Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center (TraCCC) of George Mason University (GMU) – in a June 4, 2024 column published on HSToday.us – a media platform providing independent news and analysis on homeland security and titled, “Terrorist Threat Assessment: Boko Haram and ISWAP in Nigeria,” Nigeria’s security crisis is a multifaceted issue, often framed within religious narratives to influence international perspectives on its security policies. While extremist groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have historically targeted both Christian and Muslim communities, the violence stems from broader issues such as insurgency, banditry, and criminality, particularly in the northern region.
Boko Haram and ISWAP: Targets and Motivations
Boko Haram, officially known as Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād, is a jihadist terrorist organization based in northeastern Nigeria. The group seeks to overthrow the Nigerian government and establish a regime based on Islamic law. Their insurgency has resulted in widespread violence affecting both Muslim and Christian populations. For instance, in January 2025, Boko Haram militants attacked the predominantly Muslim town of Gwoza, leading to numerous casualties and displacement among the local Muslim population. Similarly, in December 2024, ISWAP fighters targeted a Christian community in Chibok, resulting in significant loss of life and property. These incidents underscore that both groups perpetrate violence across religious lines, driven by a broader anti-state agenda rather than solely religious motivations.
In the northwestern regions, armed bandit groups engage in cattle rustling, kidnapping for ransom, and village raids, impacting communities irrespective of their religious affiliations. A 2024 report by the International Crisis Group highlighted that insecurity in northwestern Nigeria is due to persistent herder-farmer tensions, rising crime, and infiltration by Islamist militants. This perspective aligns with the government’s stance that the violence is complex and multifaceted, involving economic, ethnic, and social dimensions beyond religious factors.
International Narratives and Policy Implications
Internationally, the framing of Nigeria’s security challenges often emphasizes religious persecution, particularly focusing on attacks against Christians. While such incidents are tragically real and demand attention, this singular narrative can overshadow the broader context of the violence. Overemphasis on religious aspects may skew international policy responses, potentially neglecting other critical factors such as poverty, unemployment, and local political grievances that fuel the unrest. A comprehensive understanding of the crisis necessitates acknowledging the intricate interplay of various elements contributing to the ongoing violence.
Government Initiatives: Military Operations and Community Engagement
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In response to the escalating violence, Nigerian authorities have launched military operations aimed at dismantling insurgent and bandit networks. Operations such as “Hadarin Daji” and “Lafiya Dole” have been implemented to restore stability in affected regions. Additionally, the government has initiated community engagement efforts, including dialogues with local leaders and development programs, to address the underlying socio-economic issues that contribute to the unrest. These initiatives reflect a recognition of the need for a multifaceted approach to resolving the security crisis, beyond solely military interventions.
Therefore, while religious narratives are prominent in discussions about Nigeria’s security crisis, the reality is a complex interplay of insurgency, banditry, and criminality affecting diverse communities. Both Boko Haram and ISWAP have targeted individuals across religious lines, and the government’s response encompasses military and community-based strategies to address the multifaceted nature of the violence.
Thus, as Nigeria faces terrorism-related violence, the 90% claim is unsupported by verifiable data. The juxtaposition with U.S. gun violence and African terrorism statistics underscores its implausibility. Reliable sources emphasize Nigeria’s crisis but avoid such hyperbolic figures, suggesting the claim conflates localized severity with global prevalence.
According to Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), such incidents should also be seen in the context of a general upturn in violence against all civilians – irrespective of their religious affiliation – in Nigeria since 2020.
Schools educating Muslim girls, for example, have been attacked and the children kidnapped. Muslim leaders who have spoken out against these militant groups have also been targeted.
For context, terrorism-related deaths (all religions) in Nigeria are high, but global Christian persecution spans multiple regions, including the Middle East and South Asia, diluting Nigeria’s proportional impact.
Examining the Global Claim
While the statistics from Nigeria are alarming, the claim that it accounts for 90% of Christian deaths globally warrants scrutiny. Open Doors reported that 5,621 Christians were killed for their faith worldwide in 2023, with around 90% attributed to Nigeria. However, this figure is based on specific methodologies that focus on martyrdom due to faith-based persecution and may not account for other forms of violence affecting Christians globally.
For example:
- In the United States, over 47,000 people died from gun violence in 2023. While these deaths are not generally categorized as religious persecution, they include incidents involving Christian victims.
- Across Africa as a whole (population: 1.3 billion), approximately 50,000 deaths from terrorism and armed violence have been reported over four years.
According to the Global Terrorism Index 2024 report by the Institute for Economics and Peace, nearly 2,000 people were killed in terrorist attacks in Burkina Faso from 258 incidents, accounting for nearly a quarter of all terrorist deaths worldwide in 2023. This highlights the significant impact of terrorism in specific regions, contributing to the global toll of violence.
Additionally, the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) maintained by the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland provides comprehensive data on terrorist incidents worldwide, which can be used to analyze trends and fatalities over specific periods.
Even if all these deaths were attributed to Nigeria (which they are not), it would still be challenging to justify the claim that Nigeria accounts for such a high percentage of global Christian killings.
Statistical Challenges
The claim also overlooks broader statistical contexts. For instance:
- The U.S., with a population of about 300 million people, experienced approximately 150,000 gun-related deaths over four years—a rate far exceeding Africa’s overall figures when adjusted for population size.
- Other regions experiencing high levels of terrorism or communal violence also contribute to global death tolls but may not specifically target Christians.
Nigerian Government Responds
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has rejected a recent report by the US Congress alleging targeted killings of Christians in the country, calling it misleading and politically motivated. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the claims as an attempt to pressure foreign governments into blacklisting Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious violence.
The Nigerian government insists that the violence is not religiously motivated but rather the result of insurgency, banditry, and criminality, particularly in the northern region. Officials emphasize ongoing military operations and community engagement efforts aimed at tackling insecurity.
“Beyond the immediate diplomatic row, the report underscores the persistent challenge of framing Nigeria’s complex security crisis within religious narratives. While attacks by terrorist groups like Boko Haram and ISWAP have historically targeted both Christian and Muslim communities, external observers often focus on specific aspects, shaping international perceptions and policy responses. The political undertones of the US report also draw attention to broader global interests, including economic and security partnerships,” says the Nigerian government.
Conclusion: while reports from organizations such as Open Doors, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety), and the Vatican have highlighted Nigeria as one of the most dangerous places for Christians, this figure is based on limited reporting and does not account for all sources of violence against Christians worldwide.
Thus, while religious narratives are prominent in discussions about Nigeria’s security crisis, the reality is a complex interplay of insurgency, banditry, and criminality affecting diverse communities. Both Boko Haram and ISWAP have targeted individuals across religious lines, and the government’s response encompasses military and community-based strategies to address the multifaceted nature of the violence. The Boko Haram insurgency and banditry crisis in Nigeria have been major sources of violence, contributing to difficulties in collecting accurate data. The general lack of relevant information has created room for bias and speculation in analyzing the situation.
While Nigeria does experience a high rate of violence against civilians, particularly from groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP, and militant Fulani herdsmen, the 90% figure does not hold up when examined alongside global statistics on religious persecution and violence.
Verdict: based on the foregoing, PRNigeria therefore concludes that claim that Nigeria is responsible for 90% of Christians killed worldwide is statistically questionable, lacks robust empirical support and is therefore Misleading.
By PRNigeria
