Fresh Report Reveals Over 6,000 Christians Killed or Abducted in Nigeria

More than 6,000 Christians were killed or abducted across Nigeria in the first eight months of 2026, according to a fresh report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, InterSociety

The organisation said 3,083 Christians were killed while another 3,193 were abducted between January and August amid attacks it attributed to Islamic jihadist groups.

InterSociety disclosed the figures in its latest report released in Enugu on Sunday.

The report also raised fresh concerns over attacks on churches and Christian communities in different parts of the country.

According to the organisation, the violence has continued to affect parts of the North-Central region, the North-East and some areas in the South-East and South-West.

The report was signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Lead Researcher and Head of InterSociety Nigeria; Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam, Head of the Department of Campaign and Publicity; and Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Head of the Department of Civil Liberties and Rule of Law.

InterSociety said the figures were compiled from both primary and secondary sources.

These included information from residents, survivors, eyewitnesses and other records from communities affected by the attacks.

The group said the situation became particularly serious in July and August, when 437 Christians were reportedly killed and 393 others abducted.

It put the August death toll alone at 138, with another 180 Christians allegedly taken captive during the month.

Plateau and Benue were among the states highlighted in the report as major areas affected by killings. Other states mentioned included Adamawa and Kaduna.

The organisation also reported abductions in Kogi, Benue, Ondo, Imo, Edo and Enugu states.

InterSociety alleged that jihadist Fulani herdsmen and jihadist Fulani bandits accounted for about 90 per cent of the attacks recorded during the period under review.

It further claimed that a large proportion of those abducted in August were from the South-East.

According to the report, about 70 per cent of the estimated 180 Christians abducted in August were believed to be Igbo travellers or residents.

The organisation linked several of the reported cases to interstate journeys, particularly along major roads connecting the South-East with other parts of the country.

Passengers travelling towards Lagos and Abuja were reportedly abducted in parts of Kogi, Benue and Ondo states.

InterSociety also cited cases involving Christian residents in Imo and Enugu states.

Among the victims it identified was a 10-month-old baby who was allegedly abducted alongside six other Christians at Ndegwu in Imo State.

Passengers and National Youth Service Corps members travelling through Kogi State were also mentioned among those affected by the reported attacks.

The group estimated that about 120 of the 180 Christians allegedly abducted in August were likely to have been Igbo.

The latest figures add to statistics previously released by the organisation for the first half of the year.

InterSociety had estimated that 2,550 Christians were killed and 2,800 abducted between January and June 2026.

The addition of the July and August figures brought its reported eight-month total to 3,083 deaths and 3,193 abductions.

Beyond the loss of lives and cases of kidnapping, the report drew attention to the destruction of Christian places of worship.

InterSociety estimated that about 19,800 churches had been attacked or destroyed in Nigeria since July 2009.

It said the estimated figure stood at about 19,400 by the end of 2025 before rising to approximately 19,700 by June 2026.

The organisation said continued attacks in July and August pushed the estimate to about 19,800.

Taraba State was singled out over attacks on churches in parts of the state.

InterSociety claimed that at least 230 churches in areas linked to the Catholic dioceses of Wukari and Jalingo had been attacked or destroyed between September 2025 and August 2026.

It said more than 200 of the reported attacks occurred from January 2026.

The organisation further claimed that more than 100,000 Catholic parishioners had been displaced as a result of the violence.

It also alleged that about 200 Christian villages had been sacked, leaving residents to abandon their homes and seek safety elsewhere.

According to the report, the Catholic dioceses of Wukari and Jalingo have faced significant disruption as a result of the attacks.

InterSociety claimed that 16 priests had been forced to leave their pastoral assignments and that at least eight parish houses had been destroyed.

The report also referred to the Universal Reformed Christian Church, NKST, in Benue State.

The organisation said NKST had reported losing 5,987 members and 753 churches to attacks by armed Fulani groups in the state.

InterSociety also revisited the long-running impact of Boko Haram violence on the Church of the Brethren in Nigeria, EYN.

The group recalled that EYN had previously reported losing more than 8,600 members and hundreds of worship centres to Boko Haram attacks, particularly in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa and Taraba states.

It further cited an estimate that the number of EYN members killed since the beginning of the jihadist insurgency could have risen to about 21,000.

The report said these figures formed part of InterSociety’s wider assessment of religiously motivated violence in Nigeria.

However, InterSociety called on the Federal Government and security agencies to strengthen protection for vulnerable communities.

It also urged authorities to pay greater attention to Christian places of worship and travellers using major highways where kidnapping incidents have been reported.

The organisation said urgent measures were needed to prevent further attacks and protect civilians living in affected communities.