Clerics Decry 23,000 Faith-Related Killings In Nigeria

By HALIMA TAKWAS

RELIGIOUS leaders have raised alarm over rising faith-based violence in Nigeria, revealing that 16,769 Christians and 6,225 Muslims were killed between 2019 and 2023. Speaking at a roundtable in Abuja, the President of the Para-Mallam Peace Foundation, Dr. Gideon Para-Mallam, said the killings reflect deep-rooted religious persecution and government inaction.

He urged the Federal Government to create a National Council on Freedom of Religion to investigate and prosecute offenders. Other speakers, including Dr. Sam Amadi and Rev. John Joseph Hayab, blamed weak justice systems and politicisation of religion for fueling impunity. They called for equal protection and accountability to end the cycle of faith-related violence.