A civil society organisation (CSO), the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has raised alarm over a fresh killing of 100 Christians by jihadists in Nigeria in 76 days, from August 10, 2025 to October 26, 2025, coining the term “Religicide”.

Intersociety also reported that another 120 people were abducted in the report released on Sunday, October 26, 2025, in Enugu, Nigeria.

Average of more than one Christian abducted per day

According to the report, on the average, more than one Christian was abducted per day.

The CSO stated: “It is a fresh investigative discovery by International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) that 76 days of August 10 to Oct 26, 2025, had gone but not without continuation, intensification, unchecked, untamed, widespread, coordinated and systematic attacks by Islamic Jihadists and their enablers, aiders and abettors against defenseless Christians in Nigeria’s six geopolitical regions:

• North Central (worst hit),
• North West (second worst hit),
• North East (third worst hit),
• South West (fourth worst-hit including Yoruba parts of Kwara and Kogi States),
• South East (fifth worst-hit including about 700 forest locations under Jihadist Fulani siege), and,
• South South (sixth worst-hit especially Edo and Delta part of the region).

100 killed, 120 others abducted

“These are to the extent that in the past 76 days, no fewer than 100 defenseless Christians were targeted and killed and 120 others abducted, out of which, at least 12 are likely not coming back alive from the hands of their jihadist captors.

“The number further represented about 10% of those who will never come back alive, out of every ten or hundred abducted; with a clear case in point being over 1000 abducted Christian hostages held inside Rijana Forest camps in Kaduna State, out of which estimated 120 or more than 10% are likely to have been killed in captivity.

“Findings by Intersociety also showed that out of the 100 defenseless Christian deaths, Jihadist Fulani Militants hiding under ‘Fulani Herdsmen’ and regionally assembled others accounted for estimated 80 deaths while Jihadist Boko Haram insurgents accounted for 20 Christian deaths.

“The Jihadist Fulani Militants also accounted for estimated 110 Christian abductions while Jihadist Boko Haram insurgents took responsibility for the remaining 10 Christian abductions.

“It must also be reminded that the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigerian Government’s official statistics warehouse, had in its 2024 Report, released on Dec. 17, 2024, disclosed that ‘614, 937 (six hundred and fourteen thousand, nine hundreds of thirty-seven victims were killed in Nigeria from insecurity in one year or between May 2023 and April 2024.”

13 slain Christian victims of “religicide” in Plateau

The names and ages of some of the 13 slain Christian victims of “religicide” in Barkin Ladi, Plateau State, Nigeria, on October 14, 2025, are as follows:

1. Solomon Dung Choji (43),
2. Sunday Gyang Chollom (29),
3. Davou Mallam Chollom (24),
4. Kefas Dung Sambo (29),
5. Chollom Danjuma Chollom (37),
6. Christina Davou Chollom (27),
7. Marvelous Chollom (8),
8. Japhet Solomon (14),
9. Ntyang Chollom Danjuma (6),
10. Mary Monday (10),
11. Mancha Monday (12),
12. Solomon Chung (40), and,
13. Musa Dung Bot (32).

Burial ceremony of dozens of Christians killed by Jihadists in Nigeria

Intersociety identified the “religicide” killers and abductors as Jihadist Fulani Militants and Jihadist Boko Haram Insurgents.

Travellers as victims

The report noted that six Christian citizens including the trio of Chinenye Oji, Adamaka Anih and Catherine Tamaugee, all female staffers of the independent national Electoral Commission (INEC), were on Tuesday, October 21, abducted by Fulani Bandits in Aloma part of Kogi State on their way to Anambra State from Abuja.

Similarly, a lawyer, Peace Onyesom and her sister, Gift Onyesom were on September 27, abducted by Jihadists in Kogi State on their way back to Anambra State from the Call to Bar ceremony held in Abuja.

The report stated further that fresh hostage camps, meaning “anti-Christian hostage camps”, have emerged in Benue State.

The camps are reportedly located within forests bordering Oturkpo, Ado, Okpokwu, Ogbadibo, Ohamini and Agatu counties of the State.

The camps, “majorly run by Fulani Ethnic Militia or Jihadist Fulani Militants”, include Amla Forest (Oturkpo-Ohimini-Adoka axis), Enimado Forest in Orokam in Ogbadibo County (LGA), Ugbokolo-Okpoga Forest, Apa-Agila Forest in Ado County, Onehen Forest in Agatu and Adoka/Apa/Ankpa Forest in Apa County.

It was further discovered that “the Hostage Takers are 99% Fulani Ethnic Militia, and their victims are Christian passengers plying the dangerous roads.

“This was buttressed by the identities of the recently arrested suspects, namely:

1. Yusuf Mohammed (arrested in Orokam), along with Ibrahim Saleh,
2. Hashimu Ibrahim and Abu Umoru (arrested in Oturkpo), all Muslim Fulanis.

“Estimated 30 Christian travelers are likely to have been abducted in the area in the past 76 days or between August 10 to Oct 26, 2025,” says the report.

Many more “religicide” killings and abductions were reported across Benue, Southern Kaduna, Enugu, and Plateau States.

Compromised Victims Of “Religicide”

Fresh findings by Intersociety showed that “Bishop Hassan Kukah of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Lawyer Daniel Hassan Bwala, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Communications and Senator Muhammed Ali Ndume, an alleged former Christian and Senator, representing Borno South District in Nigeria’s Senate or ‘Red Chambers are ‘also victims of Christian Persecution in Nigeria’”.

Intersociety regretted that the above-mentioned persons “have chosen to battle their consciences by way of misrepresentation of facts of the matter concerning religious freedom, tolerance and accountability for the perpetrators and victims of ‘Religicide’ through the framework of criminology, penology and victimology.

Senator Ndume

“Senator Muhammed Ali Ndume is alleged to have come from a devoted Christian family, with his extended family members including his parent allegedly remaining Christians till date.

“The outspoken and respected Senator also represents Borno South District, the largest Christian area in Borno State… and had severally stood in strong condemnation of jihadist attacks against Christians across the State,” Intersociety stated.

The CSO emphasised that the respected Senator rose in strong condemnation of the August 30 and 31, 2025, killing of eight Christians by Jihadists in Gwoza and Askira Uba areas of Borno South in which he further disclosed that several houses were burned during the attacks.

“Surprisingly and shockingly, Senator Ali Ndume, Daniel Bwala and Bishop Kukah are now the arrowheads of ‘no religious persecution especially persecution of Christians ongoing in Nigeria’.

Bwala

Lawyer Daniel Bwala was also found to be a victim of Boko Haram ravaged area and persecution of Christians, likely to have forced him ‘urban refugee’ status.

His critics spoken to reminded how he probated and reprobated by speaking out against Christian Persecution in recent years but turned around and sided with perpetrators and enablers of religious persecution, especially persecutors of Christians allegedly for political gains, the CSO observed.

Kukah

“The last time we checked, Bishop Kukah was a highly respected and outspoken Catholic Bishop in Nigeria and defender of the Persecuted Christians dating back to 2015.

“However, the revered Catholic Episcopal Head of Sokoto Diocese has been widely criticized by critics who also accused him of inconsistency, blaming it majorly on his alleged undetached closeness to central political power in Nigeria said to have dated back to ‘Obasanjo presidency of May 29, 1999, to May 29, 2007, from which to Jonathan and Buhari Governments.

“The respected Catholic cleric was further criticized for saying Christian Genocide or Persecution happened under Buhari and is not happening under Tinubu because President Tinubu has appointed Christians into his Government including new INEC Chairman and DG, DSS, with some disagreeing with him for Christianizing the DG of DSS.

“Others… quickly reminded him that ‘he played a part in the Buhari Government as a peacemaker and reconciler on self-determination and inter-religious harmony, etc.,” Intersociety regretted.

Amidst the denials, however, Intersociety research and investigative records show that ‘not less than 22,000 defenseless Christians have so far been killed since Senator Armed Bola Tinubu became Nigeria’s President on May 29, 2023.

During this period, churches numbering several hundreds were attacked, shut down, destroyed or burned down.

“These statistics included armed non-state actor jihad-related killings and destructions and armed state-actor conduct-atrocities perpetrated by security forces on the grounds of ethnicity and religion especially in Eastern Nigeria and largely non-Muslim parts of Northern Nigeria,” Intersociety added.

Download or read the full Intersociety report here.