(OPINION) Nigeria has become a hotbed of Christian persecution, with killings, land grabs, and other forms of rebuke putting Bible believers in a truly precarious predicament.
Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern (ICC) and one of the world’s most knowledgeable experts on religious freedom and persecution, told CBN Digital his organization’s recent “2023 Persecutors of the Year” report explores the full scope of the problem.
“Most Americans have no idea what’s going on in Nigeria, but imagine this: for the last 20 years, probably up to about 100,000 Christians have been murdered,” King said. “Three-and-a-half million Christians, their lands have been taken from them, and the government’s pretty much-done nothing.”
He said he’s been trying to wake officials in Washington up to this reality for the past two decades, noting “hardly anything happens” to halt the chaos.
As for the pain and suffering facing Christians in Nigeria, he said “radical Islamists … are embedded in the government.” He said these individuals and groups “own the organs of state,” including the army, the intelligence agency, and the police, which further hampers any progress.
One of the ironies surrounding Nigeria is the massive Christian population, with nearly half of residents claiming to be Bible believers. Such a large proportion of Christians makes the persecution problem seem confusing for outsiders, as one might wonder why such a massive proportion of people are falling prey to extremists. But King said geographic and population issues are at the issue’s core.
