Page 12 - Voice of the Persecuted Christians - Jan-Mar 2022 - 121

PERSECUTION TRENDS 2023
From Nigeria to North Korea, from Egypt to Afghanistan key partners report on the pressures Christians are likely to face this year
Nigerians protest against the violence perpetrated by extremist groups
AFRICA
Islamic state as has been championed by radical groups such as Boko Haram, Islamic State in West Africa (ISWA), Ansaru and militias devastating Christian communities in central Nigeria’.
ERITREA NIGERIA
NIGERIA
He added that the elections in February and March (for president, governorships and membership of the assembly and senate) may well determine whether the agitating groups support nationhood or pursue independence either peacefully or violently.
‘Nigeria, from every indication, is at
a pivotal point in its history,’ said our partner. ‘The election in 2023 will determine whether the nation grows as an entity or continues to disintegrate.’
‘Kidnapping for ransom has now become the major money earner for the terrorist groups while victims of rape and people living with disabilities due to the attacks continue to grow among the Christian communities. Hundreds of thousands of children in these Christian villages are either unable to go to school or cannot access any good education,’ said our partner.
Even if the Labour Party presidential candidate, who is a Christian, wins he may not be able to govern effectively because of the grip the northern political elite have on the country.
Such is their growing confidence in winning that northern Islamic political groups and fundamentalists have fielded both presidential and vice- presidential candidates.
‘The call to restructure the Nigerian constitution becomes the key factor for the nation. Unless Nigeria is structured and the constitution rewritten to
give every region its autonomy and identity, minority tribes, who are
If successful they may then ‘push for an
The call by southern regional ethnic groups for cessation is yet another growing development.
Overshadowing these challenges
are the persistent attacks against predominantly Christian communities in the Middle Belt region. In 2022 alone it was reported that more than 6,000 Christians were killed and around 17 villages destroyed by Fulani militias. There are currently more than two million internally displaced people.
Boko Haram is one of the militant forces pushing for Nigeria to become an Islamic state
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