₦airaland Forum

RealityKings1:
You seem to have an obsession for chaos.
You love to see war and destruction
war mongering

JOHANNESBURG: A staggering and growing wave of persecution against Christians across sub-Saharan Africa has been laid bare in the latest Open Doors’ World Watch List for 2025. The report says three out of four Christians murdered worldwide are killed in Nigeria.

Fourteen of the top 50 countries worldwide where verified deaths could be reasonably linked to victims’ Christian faith are in sub-Saharan Africa. Open Doors is a global Christian charity supporting Christians persecuted for their faith.

The organization states that one in seven Christians in the world face high levels of persecution. But that figure rises to one in five in Africa.

Africa’s most populous nation is also ranked as the seventh worst in the world for persecution in all its forms. According to Open Doors, out of the 4,849 Christians killed for their faith globally in the year up to the end of Sept. 2025, 3,490 of these were murdered in Nigeria — 72% of the total.

Muslims have also been killed in Nigeria. But the latest data from the report shows Christians have been "disproportionately targeted." These are four of the affected states — there are others:

In Benue State in north-central Nigeria, 1,310 Christians were killed compared with 29 Muslims.

In Plateau State in north-central Nigeria, 546 Christians were killed compared with 48 Muslims.

In Taraba State in northeast Nigeria, 73 Christians were killed compared with 12 Muslims.

In north-western Kaduna State, 1,116 Christians were abducted in 2025, compared with 101 Muslims.

"The latest figures should leave us in no doubt: there is a clear religious element to this horrific violence," Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors U.K. told Fox News Digital.

Blyth added, "For many thousands of Christians, this will come as no surprise. Those who witnessed their families being killed, and their homes razed to the ground by Islamist Fulani militants report being told by their attackers that ‘we will destroy all Christians.’"

"It’s surely time to dismiss the idea that this violence is somehow ‘random,’" Blyth stated. "If we don’t recognize the clear religious element to the violence, it won't be possible to properly address this tragic situation."

Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s minister of Information and national orientation, responded to Fox News Digital to the Open Doors report Wednesday, saying, "I want to speak directly to the international community because there is a narrative being built about Nigeria that simply does not match the reality we are living on the ground."

The Minister continued, "When a church is attacked, it is a Nigerian tragedy. When a mosque is raided, it is a Nigerian tragedy. We do not categorize our grief by religion."

"The Open Doors report is heart-breaking – no one is more aware than we are of the suffering caused by the security challenges impacting our people. But labeling this a ‘religious war’ is fundamentally wrong. It is exactly the narrative the terrorists want you to believe. What we are actually fighting," the minister said, "is a brutal mix of bandits and ISIS-linked militants. These people don’t have a faith; they have a price tag," he said.

"We are working hand-in-hand with our international partners – including the recent joint efforts with U.S. intelligence to strike ISIS enclaves – to ensure these ‘hounds of death’ are removed from our soil."

The minister concluded, "Nigeria is a nation of believers. We are proud to be home to one of Africa’s largest Christian populations. But we are also a nation under attack by thugs. We ask our partners to see the real fight: it’s not neighbor against neighbor; it’s all of us against the terrorists."

Some 150,000 are estimated to have died in the civil war that has engulfed this nation since 2023. Open Doors reports, "the situation for the nation’s 2 million Christians is especially grim."

"We are considered as the enemy by both (opposing) factions, who accuse us of being allied with the other side," Rafat Samir, general secretary for the Sudan Evangelical Alliance, told Fox News Digital. We are told ‘you don’t belong here’ and driven from our homes. To make matters worse, Christians are often excluded when aid is distributed." A particular pattern can be seen across sub-Saharan Africa, Open Doors states. The report claims, "Islamist militants enter the vacuums in law and order left by a weak junta and civil conflicts. It means they can operate with impunity across parts of Burkina Faso, Mali, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central African Republic, Somalia, Niger and Mozambique. Their stated aim is to create ‘Sharia states’ operating under their deadly interpretation of Islamic law."

Elsewhere in the world, North Korea remains top of the list for having the world’s worst persecution of Christians, with Open Doors stating, "If Christians are discovered, they and their families are deported to labor camps or executed."

A huge spike in reported violence against Christians in Syria has followed the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s presidency in Dec. 2024, and has led the country to jump to number six on the list. China is number 17, with churches driven underground by surveillance and heavy regulation.

The reporting period for the World Watch List ended some two months before President Trump ordered U.S. forces to bomb Muslim militants in northwestern Nigeria on Christmas Day to try to stop the killing of Christians.

Jo Newhouse from Open Doors sub-Saharan Africa, told Fox News Digital, "The U.S. airstrikes (against Jihadi groups in Nigeria) have thrown many of the militant groups in the area into a state of panic. They have been scattering and attacking civilians as they come across soft targets, hoping that they can rebuild their resources through looting and kidnapping."

"Many Christians across the northern states are in a state of flux, unable to find any safety or stability. They bear the scars of living under the perpetual risk of death, destruction and displacement," Newhouse said.

markjam05:
Iran has the capability to retaliate

Atarakpa:
Nah his way. I think this man should accord with ambassador of burial by FG

Amotolongbo:
See them celebrating their slave masters’ ideology

SadiqBabaSani:
Waooo, op add source, there are more Christians than Muslims in Africa, yet Muslims are more visible because of majorly terrorism related activities

U.S. Labels Muslim Brotherhood Branches In Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan As Terrorist Organisations


The United States has formally designated Muslim Brotherhood organisations in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan as “terrorist” groups, signalling a major escalation in Washington’s campaign against perceived threats linked to Israel’s rivals.

“These designations reflect the opening actions of an ongoing, sustained effort to thwart Muslim Brotherhood chapters’ violence and destabilisation wherever it occurs,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, according to the Associated Press.

“The United States will use all available tools to deprive these Muslim Brotherhood chapters of the resources to engage in or support terrorism.”

The new measures make it illegal to provide material support to the groups. They also largely bar current and former members from entering the US and impose economic sanctions intended to cut off their revenue streams.

Founded in 1928 by Egyptian Muslim scholar Hassan al-Banna, the Muslim Brotherhood has established branches and offshoots across the Middle East, including political parties and social organisations.

The group and its affiliates maintain that they are committed to peaceful political participation.

In Lebanon, the Muslim Brotherhood chapter, known as al-Jamaa al-Islamiya, holds representation in the Lebanese Parliament.

In Jordan, its political wing, the Islamic Action Front (IAF), secured 31 House of Representatives seats in the 2024 elections, despite the government banning the organisation last year over alleged links to a sabotage plot.

The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood won the country’s only democratically held presidential election in 2012. President Mohamed Morsi was overthrown a year later and died in jail in 2019.

Cairo has since outlawed the group and launched a sweeping crackdown on its leaders and members, driving the organisation underground and into exile.

20 Residents Killed, Others Abducted As Bandits Sack Communities In Kauru LGA In Kaduna

Kadagen Kauru community in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State experienced a violent attack on Monday night during which a young woman, Fatima Zahra, was abducted by bandits.

The incident is part of ongoing attacks affecting several communities in the LGA.

SaharaReporters learnt that reports from affected communities confirmed multiple kidnappings and killings.

In Ningi Karku, seven people were kidnapped and one killed, while Kajunga reported six abducted and two killed.

Kabari (Gobirawa) recorded 53 kidnapped and four killed, and in Danmaikogi three were abducted and one killed.

Other communities, including Fadan Rishiwa, Kagadama, Fagen Rawa, Rafin Iwa, Unguwan Baka, Nasarawan Kadage, Darmanu, Rumaya, Zaman Chawai, Kadagen Kauru, and Kizanya, reported kidnappings, deaths, and injuries.

According to a security analyst Bakatsine, the attacks are putting residents at risk. He stated, “The frequency of these attacks shows a growing threat to the lives of innocent residents in Kauru LGA.”

He added that bandits are targeting multiple communities, increasing the vulnerability of residents. “Bandits are increasingly targeting multiple communities in a coordinated manner, leaving residents terrified and vulnerable,” Bakatsine said.

Bakatsine also noted the need for government action. He said, “Immediate and robust security measures are required to prevent further loss of life and mass abductions.”

The abduction of Zahra is part of a wider insecurity situation in Kaduna State. Recent reports indicate that other communities in the state have experienced killings and kidnappings in the past month, including attacks where multiple residents, including children and the elderly, were taken.

In early January 2026, armed bandits killed two residents and abducted 32 others, including an elderly woman and children, in villages in the Sanga and other Local Government Areas. In some incidents, attackers returned to communities shortly after initial violence to abduct additional victims.

In addition, separate reports detail violent attacks in other parts of the state. For example, armed bandits were reported to have killed two people in Tudun Wadan Rido village in Chikun Local Government Area in December 2025.

Earlier media reports have also identified kidnapping incidents involving religious figures and their families, including the abduction of a priest and his wife in the Nissi community, also in Chikun LGA.

The Islamic morality police, Hisbah Yobe State Commission has banned males and females from sitting together in public transport and at social gatherings across the state.

The directive, dated January 6 and signed by the commission’s coordinator, Muhammad Yahudi, stated that “isolated discussions between male and female conducted in a manner that contradicts the teachings of Islam” are strictly prohibited, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The commission also prohibited reckless driving and speeding with vehicles and tricycles during Sallah and wedding celebrations.

“All residents and visitors are urged to observe these directives strictly in order to maintain peace, safety, and uphold the Islamic values of our society,” the Hisbah statement said.

In the full statement, the commission added: “The Yobe State Hisbah Commission, under the chairmanship of Dr Yahuza Hassan Abubakar, hereby informs the general public that the following activities are strictly prohibited throughout the state: Reckless driving and overspeeding with vehicles and tricycles during Sallah and wedding celebrations.

“Intermingling of males and females in public transportation and gatherings. Isolated discussions between males and females are conducted in a manner that contradicts the teachings of Islam.

“All residents and visitors are urged to observe these directives strictly in order to maintain peace, safety, and uphold the Islamic values of our society,” the hisbah statement concluded.

The commission said the directives are in effect across Yobe State, and residents and visitors are expected to comply with the rules.

United States President Donald Trump has said that countries that engage in trade with Iran will face a 25 percent tariff on any business done with the US.

Trump announced the decision in a social media post on Monday, stating that it was “final and conclusive”, but offering few additional details.

“Effective immediately, any Country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a Tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America,” Trump said in a post on his website, Truth Social.

It is not clear which countries might be affected, but major economies such as Russia, China, Brazil and Turkiye all trade with Iran, which has been roiled by widespread antigovernment protests and riots over the past week.

Iraq and the United Arab Emirates are also important trading partners, according to the database Trading Economics.

In recent weeks, Trump has ratcheted up pressure on Tehran and threatened further military strikes on the country, should it fail to abide by US demands to wind down its nuclear and military programmes.

“Now, I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, and if they are, we’re going to have to knock them down,” Trump told reporters in December. “We’ll knock them down. We’ll knock the hell out of them. But, hopefully, that’s not happening.”

In June, the US bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities as part of a 12-day war initiated by Israel. US strikes on Iran likely constitute a violation of international law, according to legal experts.

“Air strikes would be one of the many, many options that are on the table,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday, adding that Trump remains interested in diplomacy, if possible.

Trump has also criticised Iran’s harsh crackdown on antigovernment protesters and warned that any violence could also lead to a US strike.

In a January 2 post on Truth Social, the US president indicated he would consider taking military action should protesters be killed.

“If Iran shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” he wrote.

The threat came one day before the US launched a military attack in Venezuela, which resulted in the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Still, human rights groups have warned that hundreds of people have been killed in Iran, but an internet blackout in the country has restricted the flow of information.

Righteousness2:
72 X 155 = ?

Whoever gets what this means will be given 24 ½ plots ofland in Virginland.

MufasaLion:
This should be a shame on the Nigerian government. Allowing a foreign nation to drop a bomb on your soil meanwhile the governors of those regions are not interested in the security of those states. Nigeria and her people can't be understood.