The BBC has raised questions over the accuracy of data used to support claims that Christians are being systematically persecuted in Nigeria. The narrative of religious persecution gained renewed international attention following Vice President Kashim Shettima’s recent address at the United Nations General Assembly, where he condemned the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and called for a two-state solution to ensure lasting peace.
Shortly after Shettima’s remarks, U.S. television host Bill Maher described events in Nigeria as a “genocide,” a statement that quickly spread across Western media and political circles. U.S. Senator Ted Cruz also amplified the claim, accusing the Nigerian government of enabling a “massacre” of Christians. In a post on X, Cruz asserted that “50,000 Christians have been killed since 2009, 2000 schools and 18,000 churches destroyed,” alleging that Nigerian authorities had “looked the other way.”
Cruz’s statement contributed to U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” a classification reserved for nations accused of tolerating religious persecution. In a Truth Social post last Friday, Trump cited 3,100 Christians allegedly killed, referencing data from the Christian advocacy group Open Doors, which tracks persecution globally.
According to Open Doors’ report, while 3,100 Christians were killed in the 12 months from October 2023, 2,320 Muslims were also victims of violence during the same period. The organisation listed “Fulani Terror Groups” as responsible for nearly a third of Christian deaths within that timeframe.
However, when contacted by the BBC, Frans Veerman, senior research fellow at Open Doors, clarified that “Christians are still targeted, but increasingly some Muslims are targeted by Fulani militants.” The BBC’s investigation revealed that figures cited by Cruz and other Western campaigners — including the widely circulated claim of over 100,000 Christian deaths and 18,000 churches destroyed since 2009 — were difficult to verify.
Most of those statistics, the BBC found, originated from the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (InterSociety), a Nigerian human rights organisation. The broadcaster said InterSociety’s data collection process was “opaque” and lacked independent verification. InterSociety acknowledged that it combines previous publications with new estimates to compile figures, a practice that the BBC said “makes verification nearly impossible.”
The report also found that most victims of jihadist attacks in Nigeria have been Muslims, contradicting the narrative of a deliberate Christian genocide. Security analysts interviewed by the BBC agreed that while Christians have been attacked, there is insufficient evidence of targeted religious extermination. They noted that Nigeria faces complex security threats ranging from banditry to insurgency, affecting citizens of all faiths.
The Nigerian government has consistently rejected allegations of state-backed religious persecution, describing them as “a gross misrepresentation of reality.” Officials maintain that extremist violence affects everyone, irrespective of religion, and that the government continues to work toward restoring peace and stability.
Trump recently threatened “unspecified action” against Nigeria over the alleged killing of Christians, but the BBC’s findings suggest that the data underpinning his claims may not be credible.
