•Send SOS to national governments, African Union, international community

By BONIFACE AKARAH

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has raised fresh concerns over what it described as escalating jihadist violence across Africa, warning that millions of Christians face growing security threats if urgent steps are not taken.

In a Special Report issued Wednesday in Enugu, and signed by its Board Chair, Emeka Umeagbalasi, alongside other officials, the organisation said Africa’s estimated 750 million Christians are increasingly vulnerable to attacks by extremist armed groups operating in different regions of the continent.

“Our findings show that Christian communities across several African countries are facing sustained and coordinated violence,” Intersociety said. “If urgent and decisive action is not taken, the consequences for regional stability and interfaith coexistence could be far-reaching.”

According to the report, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Ethiopia — which it said account for nearly 300 million Christians — are among the worst affected.

Speaking on Nigeria, Intersociety stated: “In 2025 alone, no fewer than 7,500 Christians were killed, while approximately 8,500 were abducted by armed groups operating across different parts of the country.”

He further alleged that between July 2009 and February 2026, an estimated 189,300 civilians were killed in Nigeria, including 128,000 Christians and 61,300 Muslims.

“This violence is not selective in sparing Muslims,” he said. “However, our documentation indicates that Christian communities, particularly in rural and farming areas, have borne a disproportionate share of targeted attacks.”

The group also claimed that about 19,500 churches were burned or destroyed within the same period.

“Places of worship have increasingly become soft targets,” Intersociety said. “We recorded the destruction or burning of nearly 19,500 churches between July 2009 and February 2026, including about 400 churches between December 2024 and February 2026 alone.”

On recent trends, he added, “Within the first 55 days of 2026, we documented the killing of 1,120 persons — 620 Christians and 500 Muslims — while 1,640 others were abducted.”

Intersociety warned that extremist groups are becoming more organised and operating across porous borders.

“What we are witnessing is a transnational pattern of violence,” Intersociety said. “Armed groups are exploiting forest corridors, weak border controls, and fragile security structures to expand their operations.”

The organisation called on African governments and the international community to take coordinated action.

“We urge national governments, the African Union, and the international community to prioritise the protection of vulnerable communities, strengthen intelligence-sharing mechanisms, and ensure accountability for perpetrators,” he said.

Intersociety concluded with a broader warning: “Failure to address these patterns decisively risks entrenching cycles of violence that could destabilise not only affected countries but the wider region.”