The recent killing of dozens worshippers at a Catholic church in south-western Nigeria has reignited concern about religious violence in the country.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), an umbrella group representing church groups, says attacks on churches and Christians have been increasing sharply.

"It is becoming a hopeless situation and is reprehensible," says CAN spokesman Adebayo Oladeji.

How many attacks?
There has been a clear rise in recorded incidents targeting Christians since 2019.

According to data collected by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), there have already been 23 separate attacks on church premises and people linked to them so far this year. For the whole of 2021 there were 31, and in 2020 there were 18.

A series of high-profile incidents this year has drawn particular attention to the issue.

- As many as 40 worshippers were killed in a church in Ondo state in the south-west on 5 June

-Methodist Church leader Samuel Kanu Uche was kidnapped in the south-east on 29 May

-Two Catholic priests were abducted in Katsina state on 25 May

A decade ago, recorded attacks against Christian targets were also very high, with 46 in 2012 going by ACLED data.

In April that year, gunmen killed at least 15 people in a university theatre being used by Christian worshippers in the northern city of Kano. And later in 2012, at least 19 people died in an attack on a church in central Nigeria.

During this period, many of the attacks were carried out by the militant Islamist group, Boko Haram.

The data collected by ACLED relies on local groups and media reports, and many incidents may well go unrecorded. It's also difficult to find out how many people have died in targeted attacks against Christians.

However, the recent rise in incidents involving Christians, says ACLED, 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.

Some attacks have been by Islamist groups such as Boko Haram against those Muslim communities seen as not observing their strict interpretation of Islam.

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.

In terms of kidnappings and forced disappearances in Nigeria, the main targets have been political figures and women, according to ACLED data for the period from 2018 up to the end of April 2021.

Who is carrying out the recent attacks?
The latest attack on a church in Ondo state is suspected by the Nigerian authorities to have been carried out by a militant group linked to the Islamic State network.

While Islamic militants have attacked Christian targets over many years, others have been carried out by vigilante mobs, or bandits not affiliated with any particular group, who have stolen livestock or property.

The situation is also complicated by the ongoing conflict between herders and farmers for resources such as land.

Drought and desertification have degraded pastures and led to the drying-up of water sources in the north. Muslim herders have had to migrate south, where they create conflicts with Christian farming communities.

In these clashes, both Christian and Muslim communities have been targeted, with homes and places of worship destroyed.

What has the government said?
President Muhammadu Buhari has previously blamed the attacks on those intent on creating political instability, and fostering divisions between Nigerians on the basis or religion.

Nigeria's police chief, Usman Alkali Baba, has ordered a full-scale investigation to track down the perpetrators of the most recent attack in Owo state.

Christian groups in Nigeria have blamed government policies for exacerbating the situation.

Religious leaders have called on security agencies to pursue those who carried out the recent attack
Mr Oladeji of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) says he believes the continuing attacks on Christian targets show that "deradicalisation" programmes under which repentant Islamists are helped to reintegrate into the community have not worked.

And some religious leaders have said there should be more dialogue between people of different faiths, and have urged the government to bring in legislation on promoting religious tolerance and tackling hate speech.

https://www.bbc.com/news/61719973

Definitely. The Muslims have a plan to wipe all Christians out in Nigeria..

And the Yoruba Muslims are part of that plan. Notice how they use them in the south to harass Christians ?

Come to my Edo state you will never ever hear Muslims being used to harass Christians. Go to Ibo people you won't hear their Muslims used to harass Christians, only the Yoruba do this

-Maybe the Nigerian Christian community has accepted their second-class citizenship in Nigeria. Some of them are already foolishly campaigning to elect yet another Islamic fanatic as President.

-In any society with sane Christian leadership, there would have been an internationally backed enquiry, communique and actions to defend Christians in Nigeria. But hell no! Not in Nigeria where the churches have become Wall Street.

-May Chukwu Okike Abiama continue to bless the prophet of our time - Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Isee!!

It is fuckin clear those Niggars want to islamize this country....

No be me go help them do rubbish religion...

They tried it in CAR and it failed woefully...!! Nigeria would be a worst place to try their nonsense...!!

Question

KingOfTheDamned:
Definitely. The Muslims have a plan to wipe all Christians out in Nigeria..

And the Yoruba Muslims are part of that plan. Notice how they use them in the south to harass Christians ?

Come to my Edo state you will never ever hear Muslims being used to harass Christians. Go to Ibo people you won't hear their Muslims used to harass Christians, only the Yoruba do this

sometime ,you fool will come to this forum to type rubbish.
You Buffon should be thinking of elevating your wretched parent from poverty but NO,you are here on nairaland trying to divide yorubas along religion line .
It seems you pained about the unity among yorubas irrespective of religion

Make I tell you,my fiancé is a Muslim,my parents are pleased with it.
You heard religion riot in SW before??
My church here was built by an Alhaja along side with some landlords irrespective of their religion.everyone contributed without discrimination.
Can such happen is alaigbo or backward dungeon called edo you are from??

Someone of you are agent of destruction but you won’t succeed in SW by God grace

Your father would read this comment shake his head for your stupidity.well he might be shallow minded like you who knows

PDJT:
-Maybe the Nigerian Christian community has accepted their second-class citizenship in Nigeria. Some of them are already foolishly campaigning to elect yet another Islamic fanatic as President.

-In any society with sane Christian leadership, there would have been an internationally backed enquiry, communique and actions to defend Christians in Nigeria. But hell no! Not in Nigeria where the churches have become Wall Street.

-May Chukwu Okike Abiama continue to bless the prophet of our time - Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. Isee!!

don’t tell me the same mazi who is in DSS dungeon

akinremiayomide:
don’t tell me the same mazi who is in DSS dungeon

-It tells you everything you need to know about Nigeria. Doesn't it?

Yeah, because the government of the day is handling them with glove hands.

These calamities shall be over.

And some useless christians are still clamouring for Muslim Muslim ticket...I pity all of you very soon they will be entering peoples House In the south and be beheading people.. religion of piss indeed.

BBC?

Lemme read…

Done reading and as usual, BBC didn’t disappoint.

BBC has become like NTA that even if Nigeria is burning, it will be showing you N-Power beneficiaries.

If BBC wasn’t stupid or conniving with those Killing Christians in Nigeria, the title of this piece shouldn’t have been a question.

Isn’t it visible to the blind and audible to the deaf that there’s a silent state-backed Jihad that is going on?

Shits like this are reasons Nigerians need to retrieve themselves from these vagabonds and marauders from Futa Jalon.

An assault rifle is a necessary friend to keep at home and a small automatic pistol when you are going out. Even if they are 100 in number, you must send one of them to meet God before you go. Just aim at the head to pieces the bastard's head slamming brains off!!! When my dad was living in Bauchi, I got him a 6 rounds revolver and a pump action.
Who dey go must observe very well, who dey come must still observe too. Violence no get owner.

Christians will perpetually remain sacrificial lambs to muslims in Nigeria until they learn to fight back.

Now they are planing to run on a Muslim/Muslim ticket,the way tinubu would fall naira would be jealous,even buhari that is more popular than him in the north had to go with a Christian Vice

Christians should be able to relocate to Jerusalem as the holy land whenever they feel less secure where they are ,same should be applicable to Islamic people too , they should move to Saudi when they feel less secure where ever they are , as the holy land .
Regilion is just a form of slavery and enslaving each other in Nigeria
It’s not done this way in the developed world
No religion killings in most of the develop world because they all believed in whatever they believed in .
If religion was really an institution as they said it was , an institution institutionalize people it doesn’t make them redundant in spirits and knowledge , Nigerians living in Nigeria needs to wise up and rise above this poor religion mental processing
May peace upon the injured individuals and rip to the deads .

All I know, the gate of hell shall not prevail over the Church of Christ Jesus!
And the God that did not create the heaven and earth must perish!

Yes ooooooooooo. Muslims has vowed to wipe out Christians in Kaduna,ondo east west and Nigeria entirely but shame and disgrace shall be their portion. Weak Christians arise and defend your self ooooooooooooooo.I am a proud Christian and I'm ready for that terrorist religion of jihadist call Muslims.

You still dey ask?

Yes there is, sadly the govt is complicit in this.

Yes
Very much on the rise
Our only crime is being in the same country with them

And the funniest thing is that they can't live without the christians because they will always fight to death to live with us but never to live in peace


Because
They must introduce
Hijab and blasphemy crisis

Really

Very soon you will hear attacks on Muslims in the mosque too. Some of this unknown gun men are avengers.

No one has monopoly of violence.

[color=#990000][/color] they would eventually push christians to carry guns. Bet with me!