The latest report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Intersociety, in collaboration with United States-based Ekwenche Research Institute, has claimed that not less than 299 Nigerian Christians were killed in the month of July 2026.
NewsBits reports that the said killings were blamed on state and non-state actors. The allegations were contained in the report released on Sunday by the two research groups, in which they also claimed that 213 others were abducted across Nigeria in July 2026.
The report was signed by Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi, Lead Researcher and Head of Intersociety Nigeria; Chidinma Evangeline Udegbunam, Head, Department of Campaign and Publicity, Intersociety; Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Head, Department of Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Intersociety; Prof Justin Akujieze, President and Chairman of the Board, Ekwenche Research Institute, USA; and Mazi Luke Nwannunu, Secretary and Chair, Finance Committee, Ekwenche Research Institute.
Among the figures are two catholic seminarians, a murdered Catholic priest, as well as the sack of four churches. According to the report, “at least 299 defenceless and peaceful Christians were killed by Islamic Jihadists in Nigeria, particularly in Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, Adamawa, Niger, Taraba, among others; during which no fewer than 213 others were abducted.
“Available statistics further estimated that 150 mostly indigenous Hausa Muslims were killed in the same month. At least six churches came under jihadist attack, two Catholic Seminarians abducted in Enugu and Kogi, one Catholic Priest killed and four Pastors killed or abducted.”
A breakdown released by the groups showed that Benue State recorded the highest number of alleged killings, with 65 Christian deaths, during which 30 were abducted, followed by the southern part of Kaduna State where 58 Christians were killed and 70 others abducted, making it the State with the highest number of abducted Christians in July 2026.
It continued that “Plateau State came third with 55 Christian deaths and not less than 10 abducted Christians, followed by Adamawa State with 35 Christian deaths, Niger with 30 Christian deaths, Southern Kebbi with 6 Christian deaths and 18 abducted Christians.
“Southern Borno also recorded 20 abducted Christians, Kogi 20 abducted Christians and Edo 20 abducted Christians.
“There are also at least 40 Christian deaths arising from Jihadist attacks in other parts of the country, including in the South-East. In the end, our researchers and investigators also made findings showing that an average of ten Christian deaths per day and seven abducted Christians per day were recorded.”
The report further claimed that a combined 11,000 Igboland South-East families had not traced alive or dead their beloved sons and daughters of productive age brackets who went missing in the hands of security personnel. The report claimed that most of the crimes committed in the South-East were “muddled, twisted and solely heaped on IPOB/ESN”.
Concerns were also raised by the report on the alleged occupation of some Igboland territories by jihadists.
“There are at least 20 rural Igboland communities presently facing Jihadist herdsmen threats or terror attacks, either partly or substantially affected. The affected communities included those located across Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia and Ebonyi States and parts of neighbouring Delta State; out of which Ezeagu, Isi-Uzo, Uzo-Uwani and Nkanu East Local Government Areas, all in Enugu and their several villages are found to be the worst hit and adopted as Our Case-Study.
“In Ezeagu, not less than ten out of about 14 communities are ravaged by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen threats and attacks since 2010, rising to an apogee since 2016.
“Likewise, in Isi-Uzo where several communities and villages, including Eha-Amufu and Mgbuji have been turned into ghost towns by Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen, with the most shocking being the burning or destruction of 14 churches including twelve Anglican and two Catholic churches, and the killing of at least 117 of their worshippers, out of which at least eight corpses of their worshippers were buried in one church compound alone.
“The Eha-Amufu Jihadist mayhem was found to have occurred between March 2021 and June 2025; which is ongoing to date. In Uzo-Uwani, at least sixteen communities or villages in the area have been sacked, uprooted and forced to flee by Jihadist Herdsmen who also turned the area into ghost towns and IDP camps, particularly since 2022,” the report further claimed. Meanwhile, as of the time of filing this report, security agencies have not responded to these latest claims.
