Nigeria’s Christians Under Siege: How Islamic Extremist Violence Has Escalated in 2025

At least 7,087 Christians were killed in the first 220 days of 2025 in Nigeria—an average of roughly 32–35 per day—according to the Nigerian rights group Intersociety (International Society for Civil Liberties & Rule of Law). Multiple independent outlets summarized that report and its methodology in mid-August 2025, noting an additional ~7,800 kidnappings in the same period.

Who is doing the killing

The perpetrators identified most consistently are Boko Haram, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and radicalized Fulani extremist militias (often blended with criminal “bandit” networks). This aligns with years of documentation by Open Doors, USCIRF, and conflict researchers.

Where and how this is happening

Hotspots include the Middle Belt and northern states—Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, Zamfara, and others—where villages are attacked at night, churches are burned, and civilians are abducted for ransom or forced conversion. Recent mass-casualty attacks in Benue illustrate the pattern of raids that wipe out entire communities.

Analysts warn of a convergence of jihadists and “bandits”—large, loosely organized armed groups funding operations via kidnappings and resource trafficking—making the violence deadlier and harder to stop.

Why the “7,000 in 220 days” matters (and caveats)

The figure comes from Intersociety’s August 10, 2025 report, widely cited by ACI Africa, WORLD News Group, Catholic World Report, and others. Even organizations that use different counting methods (Open Doors, USCIRF) agree Nigeria remains the deadliest country in the world for Christians and that killings and kidnappings are systemic and faith-targeted.

Context matters: some violence has intersecting motives (land use, criminality), but credible monitors—including USCIRF—document that authorities tolerate or fail to stop non-state actors who justify attacks on religious grounds, and that Christian communities are deliberately targeted.

A “takeover” by islamic extremist networks—what that looks like on the ground

Intersociety argues Nigeria has become a hub for more than 20 jihadist factions with links to transnational movements—concentrating manpower, weapons, and safe havens inside the country. While exact counts are debated, multiple outlets echoed the core finding: expanding extremist infrastructure inside Nigeria that systematically targets Christian populations.

Tactics include mass village raids, targeted assassinations of clergy, church burnings, and mass abductions—patterns reflected in recent priest killings and large-scale hostage camps reported this fall.

Accountability and response gaps

USCIRF’s 2025 report recommends designating Nigeria a “Country of Particular Concern,” citing impunity for perpetrators and weak state protection. New U.S. legislative proposals would compel stronger diplomatic pressure and sanctions over religious-freedom violations.

Bottom line

The cumulative record from 2025 shows a deliberate, large-scale campaign of terror against Christian communities by jihadist and aligned militias across Nigeria—with thousands killed in just seven months and thousands more kidnapped. Even allowing for data limitations in a conflict zone, independent monitors agree on the direction and severity: Christians are being systematically targeted, and the state response has been inadequate.

Works Cited

“7,087 Christians Killed in Nigeria in 220 Days: Report.” Catholic World Report, 13 Aug. 2025.

“7,087 Christians Killed in 220 Days in Nigeria, Catholic Group Reports.” Catholic News Agency (CNA), 12 Aug. 2025.

“Over 7,000 Christians Slain in Nigeria in First 220 Days of 2025, Intersociety Report Reveals.” WORLD News Group, 15 Aug. 2025.

“USCIRF Annual Report 2025: Nigeria.” United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), Apr. 2025.

“Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect: Populations at Risk — Nigeria.” GCR2P, 2025.

“Jihadist-Bandit Convergence in Northwest Nigeria.” The Soufan Center, Feb. 2025.

“Nigeria Country Profile.” Open Doors International: World Watch List 2025.

“Benue Massacre Leaves Dozens of Christians Dead.” Christian Post, June 2025.

“Intersociety: Nigeria Now a Hub for 20+ Jihadist Groups.” Intersociety Report, 10 Aug. 2025.