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ICC blames Fulani militants for over 40% of attacks, accuses authorities of ignoring worsening bloodshed

By Our Correspondent, with reports by Billy Hallowell, Editor, faithwire.com

Nigeria has emerged as the world’s epicentre of Christian persecution, with more than 2,500 people reportedly killed in the country in the past year alone, according to the 2026 Global Persecution Index of the International Christian Concern (ICC).

The figure represents a dramatic escalation from the estimated 500 to 600 deaths recorded annually before 2024, according to Shawn Wright, President of the ICC, who described the situation in Nigeria as “unfathomable.”

Wright said the Nigerian crisis now accounts for almost 90 per cent of all Christian persecution cases tracked by the organisation globally, placing the country at the centre of an increasingly disturbing religious-freedom crisis.

“In Nigeria, in particular, the rise [of persecution is]in such an unfathomable measure,” Wright said.

“Before [2024], we were looking at maybe in a one-year period, 500, 600 people who were killed in Nigeria, and just in the past year, that number has gone to over 2,500 and is increasing quickly.”

The ICC report identified Fulani militants as responsible for more than 40 per cent of the attacks documented in Nigeria, while other armed Muslim groups were also identified as contributors to the violence.

The attacks, according to the watchdog, have resulted in the killing and displacement of Christian communities, destruction of homes and the separation of families, with children increasingly becoming victims of the violence.

Children Left Orphans

Wright, who said he visited internally displaced persons’ camps in Nigeria about two months ago, gave a grim account of the human consequences of the attacks.

He said some of the camps were located only about a mile from the communities where displaced families originally lived, yet residents had been forced to abandon their homes because of insecurity.

Among the most disturbing consequences, he said, is the growing number of children who have lost their parents.

“Many of these children are orphaned because their parents were killed in these attacks,” Wright said.

The development raises fresh concerns over the fate of thousands of Nigerians displaced by recurring attacks and the long-term consequences for children growing up in displacement camps.

Government Under Fire

The ICC president also alleged that the Nigerian government is either complicit in some of the attacks or failing to act decisively against the perpetrators.

The allegation adds another dimension to Nigeria’s long-running security crisis, which has seen communities across parts of the country repeatedly attacked by armed groups, forcing residents to flee their ancestral homes.

The latest ICC assessment is likely to intensify scrutiny of the Federal Government’s response to attacks on vulnerable communities and its broader strategy for tackling terrorism, banditry and communal violence.

For many affected communities, the issue goes beyond religious persecution to questions of survival, protection of lives and the right of citizens to remain safely in their homes.

Different Faces of Persecution Around the World

While Nigeria’s crisis is predominantly characterised by violent attacks and mass displacement, the ICC said persecution assumes different forms elsewhere.

In China, for instance, Wright said the Communist Party’s approach is centred largely on state control, surveillance and restrictions on religious activities.

“China, for instance, theirs is through state control, surveillance, pressure on churches, closing of churches,” he said.

He also alleged that China provides surveillance technology to other countries, including Iran, Pakistan and India, enabling authorities to monitor groups regarded as dissidents and, consequently, track Christian communities.

India presents another form of pressure, according to the ICC, with Hindu nationalism and anti-conversion legislation identified as major concerns.

Wright alleged that anti-conversion laws in 13 Indian states have created significant restrictions on Christian evangelism and even raised questions about Christians sharing their faith with other Christians.

“They also have anti-conversion laws … that are strategically targeting Christians, in particular, that you cannot share your faith, period,” he said.

‘Behind Every Statistic Is a Human Being’

Wright said the purpose of the Global Persecution Index was not merely to produce statistics but to draw international attention to people whose lives have been devastated because of their faith.

“Behind every statistic is a real person — a husband, a wife, pastor, or a child who has chosen faithfulness to Christ despite enormous persecution,” he said.

He urged Christians globally to recognise their responsibility towards persecuted believers, citing Hebrews 13:3 as a biblical injunction to remember those imprisoned for their faith.

But for Nigeria, the figures contained in the report present a particularly sobering picture.

With more than 2,500 deaths reportedly recorded in a single year and the country accounting for almost 90 per cent of the persecution tracked by the watchdog, the report puts an uncomfortable spotlight on Nigeria’s worsening security situation.

Beyond the statistics are communities emptied by violence, families torn apart, children left without parents and citizens forced to abandon homes they may never safely return to.

The ICC’s assessment therefore presents Nigeria not merely as another country experiencing religious persecution, but as the most alarming front in the global crisis — one that demands far more than statistics, statements and condemnations.