Persecution of Christians: Nigeria ranks fourth on global terror index

LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria remains one of the most dangerous countries in the world for Christians, according to new findings on global religious persecution that highlight escalating violence, mass displacement, and targeted kidnappings across the nation.

Ranked fourth globally on the 2026 Global Terrorism Index, Nigeria continues to face severe security crises driven by extremist groups and armed militants, the Daily Mail reported. Across northern Nigeria, militants have repeatedly targeted churches, killed clergy members, and forced entire Christian communities to flee their homes.

The violence is particularly acute in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where ongoing assaults on predominantly Christian settlements have helped drive the displacement of more than 3.5 million people—including at least one million Christians. Among the deadliest incidents cited in the report occurred on June 13, 2025, when Fulani militants stormed the community of Yelewata, massacring more than 200 Christians.

Women and girls have borne a disproportionate brunt of the violence. Over the past decade, Christians accounted for approximately 95 percent of the women and girls held captive during the peak of jihadist kidnappings in the region.

Survivors have described intense pressure to renounce their faith while in captivity. Solomon Ako, who was abducted near the northern city of Zaria, recounted his ordeal to the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need.

“They immediately asked us to convert and, when we refused, they started beating us,” Ako said.

The findings come amid broader global trends showing Christians faced harassment in 165 countries in 2023, with the scale of fatalities and displacement in Nigeria standing out as one of the starkest examples worldwide.