Intersociety Claims 3,083 Christians Killed, 3,193 Abducted in Eight Months

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has claimed that 3,083 Christians were killed and 3,193 abducted in attacks it linked to Islamic extremist groups between January and August 2026.

The organisation also alleged that about 400 churches were attacked, while 25 priests and pastors were either killed or abducted during the eight-month period.

Intersociety chairman, Emeka Umeagbalasi, disclosed the figures in a statement detailing the group’s assessment of attacks on Christian communities across Nigeria. He said the organisation based its estimates on information obtained from residents, survivors and eyewitnesses in affected areas.

Umeagbalasi said 437 Christians were killed and 393 abducted in July and August alone. He put the August figures at 138 deaths and 180 abductions, with several of the incidents reportedly occurring in Plateau and Benue states.

He said Intersociety recorded 299 Christian deaths and 213 abductions in July, while August incidents included reported attacks in Plateau, Benue, Kaduna and Adamawa states.

The group alleged that armed groups of Fulani origin accounted for a significant proportion of the incidents it documented. It stressed that its assessment focused on attacks it considered religiously motivated and connected to Islamist extremist groups.

On abductions, Umeagbalasi claimed that at least 92 Christian travellers were kidnapped in Benue, Kogi and Ondo states in August. He also cited reported abductions in Imo, Edo, Kaduna, Plateau, Enugu and other states, including passengers travelling in commercial vehicles.

According to the organisation, about 120 of the 180 Christians it recorded as abducted in August were from the South-East. Umeagbalasi said some Eastern travellers were allegedly abducted while travelling towards Lagos and Abuja, while other passengers were reportedly kidnapped in the South-West.

Intersociety said its estimates included what it described as “dark figures” to account for cases where the fate of victims could not be independently established. However, the casualty and abduction figures in the statement were not independently verified, and the organisation did not provide evidence in the statement establishing that all the incidents were religiously motivated or carried out by Islamist extremist groups.

The group called for stronger protection of vulnerable communities and improved security measures to curb attacks, killings and abductions across the country.