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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.
The Jos North Local Government has intensified disease surveillance and community sensitisation as health authorities work to contain a diphtheria outbreak in Plateau State.
The council’s chairman, John Christopher, on Saturday handed over motorcycles to the local government’s health directorate to strengthen field surveillance, contact tracing and community outreach across the area.
The development is expected to enable health workers to reach communities more quickly, conduct follow-up visits, collect samples and identify suspected cases, particularly in areas that are difficult to access.
The intervention comes amid reported diphtheria cases in the area, where 117 suspected cases and 15 deaths had been recorded as of 1 September, according to health authorities.
Plateau State has also reported suspected cases in Jos South, Bassa and Wase local government areas.
The state government has ordered the temporary closure of public and private primary and secondary schools from Monday as part of measures to contain the spread of the disease.
In Jos North, the council has been working with the state Ministry of Health to strengthen surveillance, case management and community mobilisation.
Mr Christopher said the additional logistics were necessary to ensure that health workers could respond promptly to suspected cases.
“For us, the health and safety of our people remain a priority. Diphtheria spreads fast, and we cannot afford delays,” he said during the handover.
“These motorcycles will help you reach every corner. Be proactive, be professional and make sure no community is left behind.”
The director of health of the council, Martha Kummiap, said the motorcycles would improve the directorate’s ability to conduct regular field visits and trace people who may have been exposed.
“This will change how we work. We can now do daily visits, trace contacts faster and get suspected cases to the health facility before it’s too late,” Ms Kummiap said.
She said the collaboration with the state Ministry of Health had also provided training and supplies to support health workers involved in the outbreak response.
The council said it had commenced radio sensitisation and community outreach to educate residents about diphtheria and measures to reduce transmission.
READ ALSO: Jos University Teaching Hospital’s psychiatric facility stretched as mental health cases rise
Diphtheria is a vaccine-preventable bacterial disease that can spread through respiratory droplets and close contact. It can cause serious complications and death when treatment is delayed.
Health authorities have urged parents and caregivers to ensure that children receive routine vaccinations and advised residents to seek medical attention promptly when symptoms such as sore throat, fever or difficulty breathing occur.
Mr Christopher also urged residents to cooperate with health workers during surveillance and contact-tracing activities.
“We are custodians of our communities. If we keep our drainages clean, if we report early, if we support the health teams when they come around, we will defeat this,” he said.
The council said it would continue working with the Plateau State Ministry of Health and other partners to strengthen surveillance and response until the outbreak is contained.
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