Published on June 23, 2024, 12:35 am

Nigeria ranks as the most perilous nation for Christians globally, attributed primarily to Islamic extremism. The number of religious-based abductions and murders is escalating; incredibly, this year alone has witnessed the capture of ten clergymen and several laity members. Shockingly, in a world where political upheavals and crises dominate headlines, there is scant outcry over the brutal oppression endured by Christians in many nations worldwide. Nigeria presents an alarming reflection of this bleak reality.

Over 60,000 Nigerian Christians have been ruthlessly killed and millions displaced in a decade-long genocide: a chilling fact largely glossed over by western media outlets. This year unfolded with the kidnap of ten priests; one was eventually released according to a report from Catholic Weekly published on June 11. This worrying trend accentuates the rising menace of abductions encircling Nigeria.

The Civil Society Joint Action group cited by Australian Catholic Weekly presented staggering figures: since 2019, more than 17,000 Nigerians have been abducted, with the majority being Christians. Kidnapping has become distressingly routine – driven either by ransom intentions or furthering religious extremism. These incidents have placed Nigeria at an unsettling sixth position in the World Watch List for religious persecution in 2024.

Open Doors, an organization monitoring Christian persecution worldwide, reports that annual deaths of Nigerian Christians due to their faith surpass combined figures from all other countries globally.

In spite of these grim statistics and realities on ground oftenundermined by Pope Francis’s frequent silence regarding persecuted Christians – he highlighted last year’s murder of one Nigerian priest.

The recounting provided insight into the dire struggles facing northern and central country’s Christian inhabitants confronted with armed bandits and radical Islamic groups. The monstrous genocide targeting Nigerian Christians rarely captures Western press attention; when it does receive some coverage- discussions involving Islamic terrorism as its key driver are conveniently overlooked.

The Biden administration startlingly removed Nigeria from their catalog of countries of particular concern regarding religious freedom violations. Warnings from experts suggest that this approach might increase the risk of a significant terrorist attack on US soil.

Essentially, since its 7th-century origins, Islam’s expansion has been marked by violence and intimidation. Reflections such as these provide much-needed contextual background to the narrative unfolding in Nigeria today.

Nigeria’s bitter experience demonstrates an urgent necessity for real news reporting which conveys a trusted news perspective aligning with Christian worldview values. As western nations grapple with an influx of radical Muslims, it remains all the more crucial to confront narratives that downplay offspring ideologies provoking violence against non-Muslims – even if acknowledging them proves uncomfortable. Most dishearteningly, however, is the prevailing indifference towards Nigerian Christians’ tragic fate under Muslim extremism, which clearly needs urgently rectifying for the preservation of religious liberties globally.