{"id":2638843,"date":"2026-08-01T12:37:01","date_gmt":"2026-08-01T16:37:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/expert-under-nigerian-terrorists-christian-faced-higher-rates-of-execution-and-captivity\/"},"modified":"2026-08-01T12:50:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-01T16:50:10","slug":"expert-under-nigerian-terrorists-christian-faced-higher-rates-of-execution-and-captivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/expert-under-nigerian-terrorists-christian-faced-higher-rates-of-execution-and-captivity\/","title":{"rendered":"Expert: Under Nigerian Terrorists, Christian Faced Higher Rates of Execution and Captivity"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fexpert-under-nigerian-terrorists-christian-faced-higher-rates-of-execution-and-captivity%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2638843&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The content discusses ongoing violence and persecution in Nigeria, highlighting the work of Steven Kefas, a senior analyst at the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa. Kefas&#8217;s investigative efforts have documented widespread atrocities, including mass killings, kidnappings, and religious targeting, particularly against Christians. From 2020 to 2025, over 79,000 people were killed, with Christians experiencing a disproportionate rate of violence compared to Muslims. the report emphasizes that many attacks by fulani groups, rather than Boko Haram or ISWAP, are aimed at diminishing Christian communities, especially in nigeria\u2019s Middle belt. Kefas shares personal stories of victims, notably Christian women subjected to sexual violence and forced conversions in captivity. The Nigerian authorities often dismiss or deny these reports, instead engaging in efforts to improve the country&#8217;s international image. The analysis suggests the violence has a religious and political dimension, with attacks potentially intended to reduce the Christian presence in affected regions. Over time, media narratives have shifted from framing these issues as mere resource disputes to recognizing organized, targeted terrorism. The report underscores the challenges faced in conducting research due to security risks and limited funding,but highlights the importance of continued inquiry for understanding and addressing the crisis.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><br \/>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"sc-4699d60d-0 sc-ffc65bad-0 cNYAfa bgrWBS\">\n<div class=\"sc-6375a1f8-1 gpZQNT\">\n<div class=\"sc-6375a1f8-0 bHJgpU\">\n<p><em>The blood of Christians is irrigating Africa\u2019s soil, with Nigeria as an epicenter. As a senior research analyst at the Observatory of Religious Freedom in that continent (ORFA), <a href=\"https:\/\/truthnigeria.com\/2026\/06\/at-oslo-freedom-forum-nigerian-journalist-warns-of-escalating-christian-persecution\/\">Steven Kefas<\/a> has been following closely horrific stories of martyrdom.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>He is now one of the principal contributors to the explosive ORFA six-year study on violence and religious freedom in Nigeria. Because of Kefas\u2019s investigative journalism, documenting human rights abuses and insecurity in Kaduna State, he <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-to-honor-talibans-red-line-for-afghanistan-pullout\/\" title=\"Biden To Honor Taliban\u2019s Red Line for Afghanistan Pullout\">faced growing pressure<\/a> from authorities until he was arrested and imprisoned for 162 days in May 2019.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Kefas witnessed deaths among inmates and suffered health challenges. \u201cAn experience that only strengthened my resolve to continue exposing injustice,\u201d he said for this interview.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>For more than a decade, he has meticulously documented religious persecution, terrorism, mass killings, kidnappings, and forced displacement across Nigeria\u2019s Middle Belt and other affected regions, combining field investigations, survivor interviews, and data analysis to better understand the drivers of violence and to ensure that the voices of victims are not ignored.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>What were the key findings of the recent ORFA report on violence and faith in Nigeria?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The scale of violence documented by ORFA is staggering.<\/p>\n<p>Between 2020 and 2025, our research documented 79,323 people killed and 34,773 civilians abducted across Nigeria. On average, that translates to about seven attacks and 36 deaths every single day over the six-year reporting period.<\/p>\n<p>Of those killed, 42,033 were civilians, while 37,290 were security personnel or members of armed groups. One of the report\u2019s most significant findings is that Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), despite receiving the most international attention, accounted for only about 12% of civilian deaths during the reporting period.<\/p>\n<p>By contrast, the groups ORFA classifies as Fulani terror groups were responsible for 18,577 civilian deaths \u2014 about 44% of all civilian killings documented.<\/p>\n<p>The religious dimension of the violence is equally concerning. ORFA documented the killing of 28,551 Christians and 13,224 Muslims. After adjusting for the population of affected states, Christians were killed at approximately 4.4 times the rate of Muslims.<\/p>\n<p>While abductions appeared relatively similar in raw numbers \u2014 15,932 Christians and 15,272 Muslims \u2014 our companion study, <a href=\"https:\/\/orfa.africa\/captivity-by-creed-the-religious-sorting-system-nobody-talks-about\/\">Captivity by Creed<\/a>, found significant differences in how victims were treated. Christian captives consistently faced higher ransom demands, longer periods in captivity, harsher treatment, greater pressure to renounce their faith, and a higher likelihood of being executed even after ransom payments had been made.<\/p>\n<p>These findings challenge many prevailing assumptions about the conflict and underscore the need for a more evidence-based understanding of the violence affecting Nigeria.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What challenges did ORFA face in conducting field research?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The greatest challenges were security and funding.<\/p>\n<p>Many of the communities we studied are active conflict zones where attacks remain frequent. Conducting field investigations often meant travelling into areas where there was a genuine risk of terrorist attacks, kidnappings, or ambushes. In many cases, our researchers had to work under <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mayor-signs-order-to-demolish-remainder-of-building-in-fla-condo-collapse\/\" title=\"Mayor signs order to demolish remainder of building in Fla. condo collapse\">extremely difficult conditions<\/a> while ensuring the safety of survivors who agreed to speak with us.<\/p>\n<p>Funding has also been a major limitation. ORFA has carried out this extensive research with relatively modest resources. Despite those constraints, we have built one of the most comprehensive datasets on religious freedom-related violence in Nigeria.<\/p>\n<p>With greater financial support, we could expand our geographic coverage, increase the frequency of field investigations, verify even more incidents, and provide a more complete picture of the crisis.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Could you  some of the stories that had the greatest impact on you or your team while collecting the data?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The testimonies of survivors who spent months, and in some cases hundreds of days, in terrorist captivity had the greatest impact on me personally. Their accounts gave us rare insight into the internal operations of terrorist groups, their methods and, importantly, the motivations behind many of their atrocities.<\/p>\n<p>One story that continues to haunt me involves Christian women abducted from communities in Southern Kaduna. Many were repeatedly sexually assaulted by their captors, forcibly impregnated, and pressured or compelled to convert to Islam while in captivity. After enduring months of unimaginable suffering and finally regaining their freedom, some returned home only to face rejection by their own families. In several cases, their husbands refused to accept them back because they returned with children conceived through rape.<\/p>\n<p>These women survived terrorism only to encounter another form of trauma upon returning home. Their stories remind us that the consequences of terrorism extend far beyond the attack itself and often continue long after victims escape captivity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>What is the typical reaction of Nigerian authorities to reports of this kind?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The reaction has too often been one of denial or dismissal rather than serious engagement with the evidence.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of acknowledging the scale of the crisis and responding to the concerns raised by independent researchers, authorities have frequently sought to downplay reports documenting religiously targeted violence. We saw this clearly when the U.S. government under President Donald Trump raised concerns about the persecution of Christians in Nigeria.<\/p>\n<p>Rather than addressing the underlying issues, the Nigerian government strongly rejected those characterizations and publicly disputed the findings. It also retained the U.S.-based <a href=\"https:\/\/africa.businessinsider.com\/local\/markets\/nigeria-hires-us-lobbyists-for-dollar9-million-to-communicate-its-position-to-the\/k6sz113\">lobbying firm DCI Group under a contract<\/a> reportedly worth approximately $9 million to improve Nigeria\u2019s international image.<\/p>\n<p>My hope is that future reports will be met not with denial but with constructive engagement, transparent investigation, and meaningful action to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/aoc-blames-climate-change-for-viral-video-of-woman-swimming-in-nyc-subway-sewage\/\" title=\"AOC Blames \u2018Climate Change\u2019 For Viral Video Of Woman Swimming In NYC Subway Sewage\">protect vulnerable communities<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Could it be said that the efforts of terrorist groups in Nigeria are aimed at eliminating or diminishing the Christian presence in the country, especially in the geographical and socio-political transition zone in central Nigeria known as The Middle Belt?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Based on ORFA\u2019s findings, I believe there is compelling evidence that, particularly in Nigeria\u2019s Middle Belt, many attacks by Fulani terror groups disproportionately target Christian communities.<\/p>\n<p>The pattern we documented extends beyond isolated attacks.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The <a href=\"https:\/\/mbdc.com.ng\/ng\/about.html\">Middle Belt<\/a> separates the predominantly Muslim far North from the mostly Christian South and is characterized by its high ethno-linguistic diversity and crucial agricultural output. Is that a factor for the violence?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Entire Christian farming villages have repeatedly been attacked, churches destroyed, clergy killed or abducted, and thousands of predominantly Christian communities forcibly displaced. In numerous cases, displaced communities have remained unable to return to their ancestral lands for years, with reports that some abandoned villages have subsequently been occupied by the attackers or others.<\/p>\n<p>While motivations can vary across different armed groups and regions of Nigeria, the evidence from many parts of the Middle Belt indicates that Christian communities have been disproportionately targeted in ways that have significantly reduced their presence in affected areas.<\/p>\n<p><strong>In 2016, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-africa-36139388\">the BBC<\/a> and other major media outlets framed the violence in Nigeria as disputes between herders. Have you seen any shift in the mainstream media narrative regarding the violence in Nigeria?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Yes, I believe there has been a gradual shift.<\/p>\n<p>A decade ago, much of the international media described the violence primarily as \u201cfarmer-herder clashes,\u201d implying that both sides were engaged in roughly equivalent communal disputes over land and grazing resources.<\/p>\n<p>That framing overlooked the organized, sustained, and often highly lethal attacks against civilian communities that many local researchers and affected communities had been documenting for years.<\/p>\n<p>Increasingly, however, journalists, researchers, policymakers, and international organizations are recognizing that many of these incidents cannot be adequately explained as resource conflicts alone. The scale, organization, and recurring targeting of civilian populations point to a much more serious security challenge involving terrorist violence carried out by armed Fulani militant groups in many parts of Nigeria.<\/p>\n<p>While some media outlets continue to use the farmer-herder narrative, there is now a broader appreciation that the violence is more complex. Also, that terrorism, ideological extremism, criminality, and religious targeting all play significant roles in different parts of the country. I believe this more nuanced understanding is an important step toward developing effective responses.<\/p>\n<p><em>Yoe Su\u00e1rez is The Washington Stand\u2019s international affairs correspondent. He is an exiled journalist, writer, and producer who investigated in Havana about torture, political police, gangs, government black lists, and cybersurveillance. A graduate of Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona, he was a CBN correspondent, and has written for outlets like The Hill and Newsweek. He has appeared on Vox, Univision, and Deutsche Welle as an analyst on Cuba, security, and U.S. foreign policy.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f7f7f7; color: #171717; display: flex;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 600;line-height: 1.5;margin: 24px 0;padding: 18px 20px 18px 30px;text-align: left;\">\n<div style=\"align-self: stretch;border-left: 3px solid #171717;flex-shrink: 0;padding-left: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<p><a style=\"text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/\">Choose The Western Journal as your preferred source on Google and never miss reporting that defends truth, protects freedom, and advances Western civilization<\/a><\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey == typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts = { \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs = [ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i = 0; i < inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! 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Steven Kefas, senior analyst at ORFA, has documented horrific martyrdom stories and contributed to a six-year study on violence and religious freedom in Nigeria<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2638844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_0773-3.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[64258,36930,83554,43545],"class_list":["post-2638843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-christian-victims","tag-human-rights","tag-nigerian-terrorism","tag-religious-persecution"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/IMG_0773-3.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2638843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2638843"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2638843\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2638857,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2638843\/revisions\/2638857"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2638844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2638843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2638843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2638843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}