Nigeria Tops Christian-Killing Nations Globally

Nigeria tops Christian killing

NIGERIA TOPS CHRISTIAN KILLING. Many know Nigeria as the site of lively Christian revivals and million-strong Reinhold Bonnke crusades. But where grace abounded, persecution also abounds. For now we also know it as the country with the most killings of Christians and the most abductions too.

The Global Christian Relief Red List reports that 9,814 Nigerian Christian got killed in 2022-2024. And the killing persists. Only Sunday, Islamic militants killed 40+ farmers in in the notorious “killing field” of NE Nigeria. And the 2014 kidnapping of 276 schoolgirls in the same area was not an isolated incident. Nigeria also led the world with 9,311 abductions/assaults on Christians. That amounts to more than even cartel-riddled Mexico.

Besides killing and abductions, the Red List also cited the top five in three other categories. India led in building attacks, China led in arrests, and Azerbaijan in displacement of Christians. The latter ranked highest as a result of the mass exodus of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh.

Waves of terrorism follow waves of evangelism

Out of the total of 25 in these categories, we find other nations in multiple categories. Mozambique ranked #2 or #3 in killings, building attacks and displacement of Christians. Ethiopia ranked in killings, building attacks and abductions/assaults. Russia, China, India, Myanmar, and the DRC ranked in two categories. Others ranking in one category included Nicaragua, Haiti, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, North Korea, Eritrea and Cameroon.

Why do we find so many African countries—six—among the fifteen ranking nations? Like Nigeria, Africa as a whole has seen waves of Islamic terrorism follow waves of Christian evangelism. We must pray that waves of discipleship will get Christians rooted and grounded in the faith. So that they will keep growing and bearing fruit when waves of terrorism pass by. And that the seeds of the martyrs will too.

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