In Nigeria, over 2,200 Christians were murdered by radical Islamists with the number making up slightly less than half of the 4,761 Christians killed for their faith worldwide in year 2020.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports this is according to the 2021 World Watch List report recently published by Open Doors USA.
The report reads: “More Christians are murdered for their faith in Nigeria than in any other country.
“Violent attacks by Boko Haram, Hausa-Fulani Muslim militant herdsmen, ISWAP (an affiliate of the Islamic State group) and other Islamic extremist groups are common in the north and middle belt of the country, and are becoming more common farther south.
“In these attacks, Christians are often murdered or have their property and means of livelihood destroyed. Men and boys are particularly vulnerable to being killed. The women and children left behind are very vulnerable and living testimonies to the power of the attackers. Perpetrators are seldom brought to justice. Christian women are often abducted and raped by these militant groups, and sometimes forced to marry Muslims.
“Christians from a Muslim background face rejection by and pressure from their families. Muhammadu Buhari’s presidency (2015 onwards) has seen a sharp increase in attempts to force Islamization on the country, including appointing Muslims to key government positions.
“Many Christians who are driven out of their villages and away from their sources of livelihood are forced to become internally displaced persons (IDPs), often living in informal IDP camps. Given the continuous occupation of their villages by Fulani militants, the lack of government support, the lack of proper education for their children and the high vulnerability of IDPs, these believers continue to suffer even after the brutality of the initial persecution.
“Nigeria has risen several places on the World Watch List, and persecution has worsened in all areas of public and private life. Violence against Christians perpetrated by Boko Haram, Fulani militants and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province)—as well as other, unidentified armed attackers—has led to tremendous suffering among the Christian community.
“Nigeria entered the top 10 of the 2021 World Watch List primarily because this violence has increased and began to spill out into other parts of Nigeria, and the government seems unable or unwilling to protect its Christian citizens. Islamic extremist attacks have not abated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Christians who are staying at home to combat the spread of the virus have been vulnerable to attack.
“Persecution, and especially violent attacks, are most prevalent in the north and Middle Belt of Nigeria. The government’s attempts to Islamize the country are more widespread, affecting even Christian majority communities in the south. Christians who have converted from Islam are very vulnerable in the north of the country, particularly in those areas governed by Shariah law. Christians living as IDPs are also particularly vulnerable”.
TNG reports each year, the World Watch List provides an unparalleled glimpse into the 50 places around the world where it costs the most to be a Christian.
Around the world, more than 340 million Christians live in places where they experience high levels of persecution, just for following Jesus. That’s 1 in 8 believers, worldwide.
The numbers are astonishing. But behind each number and statistic, there is a human story. The 2021 World Watch List is about these stories behind the numbers.
Below is the list of the top 50 countries where its most difficult to follow Jesus, according to Open Doors:
1. North Korea
2. Afghanistan
3. Somalia
4. Libya
5. Pakistan
6. Eritrea
7. Yemen
8. Iran
9. Nigeria
10. India
11. Iraq
12. Syria
13. Sudan
14. Saudi Arabia
15. Maldives
16. Egypt
17. China
18. Myanmar
19. Vietnam
20. Mauritania
21. Uzbekistan
22. Laos
23. Turkmenistan
24. Algeria
25. Turkey
26. Tunisia
27. Morocco
28. Mali
29. Qatar
30. Colombia
31. Bangladesh
32. Burkina Faso
33. Tajikistan
34. Nepal
35. Central African Republic
36. Ethiopia
37. Mexico
38. Jordan
39. Brunei
40. Democratic Republic of the Congo
41. Kazakhstan
42. Cameroon
43. Bhutan
44. Oman
45. Mozambique
46. Malaysia
47. Indonesia
48. Kuwait
49. Kenya
50. Comoros