By BONIFACE AKARAH

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has reported that 1,402 Christians were killed and 1,800 abducted across Nigeria between January 1 and April 6, 2026.

In a statement released Monday, the group said the figures cover a 96-day period from New Year Day to Easter Monday, describing the situation as “widening and escalating.”

According to the report, “the massacre of Christians and persecution of churches… have continued and become increasingly widespread,” adding that earlier figures of 1,050 deaths and 1,690 abductions recorded as of March 19 rose sharply within weeks.

The organisation stated that “such state actor denials have been dwarfed by growing manifestations of gross bias and open protection of the jihadists by Nigeria’s security chiefs,” alleging complicity by unnamed officials.

Providing a breakdown, the group said 350 additional deaths were recorded between March 20 and April 6, including 102 deaths during Holy Week and 34 on Easter Sunday alone.

It further noted that “out of every ten abducted Christians, one is not coming back alive,” attributing deaths in captivity to “physical torture, starvation, gunshot wounds… and other inhuman or degrading treatments.”

The report also claimed that government efforts to counter international narratives on religious violence have included “tens of millions of dollars… in international lobbying to deny and erase traces” of targeted attacks.

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