More than 360m Christians suffer high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith.

In Open Doors’ World Watch List top 50 alone, 312m Christians face very high or extreme levels.

https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/

Christians in Nigeria suffer persecution from an ingrained agenda of enforced Islamisation, which is particularly prevalent in the north of the country and has gradually been spreading south.
Since the northern states declared allegiance to Sharia (Islamic law) in 1999, this enforced Islamisation has gained momentum, by violent and non-violent means. Attacks by Islamic militant groups have increased consistently since 2015, but the government has failed to prevent the rise in violence, which affects all Nigerians, but particularly Christians.

https://www.opendoors.org/en-US/persecution/countries/nigeria/

Who is most vulnerable to persecution?

Persecution is most severe and most prevalent in the north, where militant groups such as Boko Haram, ISWAP and Fulani militants seem to increasingly work together against Christians, and against Muslims who don't support their agenda. The raids on Christian communities, and other forms of violence, lead to large numbers of Christians (and other Nigerians) being forced to live in camps for internally displaced people. Women and children are particularly vulnerable in these camps. Children suffer health issues, and women and girls are vulnerable to human trafficking.

As well as direct violence, Christians in northern Nigeria are habitually treated as second-class citizens and suffer discrimination and hostility. Christians from a Muslim background also face rejection from their own families, pressure to give up Christianity, and often physical violence.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgrHKcDxw4Y

Christian persecution continues to rage across the globe, with believers facing killings, kidnappings, chaos, and crises at the hands of governments, extremists, and even family members. Among the persecution trends unfolding today, Open Doors, an organization monitoring Christian persecution worldwide, warns that "Sub-Saharan Africa faces catastrophic collapse" as Islamist violence breaks out in the region. The organization's 2023 World Watch List, which ranks the 50 nations where persecution is the worst, warns of the "horrifying growth" of these terrors. As it has for many years in the past, the report ranked North Korea as the most sinister place for Christians. The nation's newfound "anti-reactionary thought law" reportedly cracks down on any foreign materials, putting residents in danger for simply possessing or sharing outside content.