Nigeria Convicts Nearly 400 Terrorists As Christian persecution continues
A Nigerian federal court convicted nearly 400 individuals on terrorism charges this month in what persecution watchdog International Christian Concern said is one of the largest criminal crackdowns in the nation’s history, but none appeared to face murder charges.
The Abuja high court convicted 386 individuals linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), ICC and others reported, with those convicted sentenced to prison terms spanning five years to life. Those sentenced were among 508 individuals arrested, with 112 cases adjourned, indicating postponement. Two were found not guilty, and eight were dismissed, ICC said.
The convictions followed the murder of an estimated 157 Christians since Palm Sunday in rural communities in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, ICC reported after the April 10 convictions, saying that the Nigerian government must admit that the murders are religiously motivated if justice is to occur. An additional 43 identified as Muslims were murdered in the attacks since Palm Sunday, ICC said.
“If (Nigerian President Bola) Tinubu is serious about quelling the violence in Nigeria, one factor he must address is religion,” ICC said April 16. “Though not the only factor at play — lack of economic opportunity is another — it is a major one that he cannot afford to ignore.
“Whether through programs to counter religious extremism or targeted efforts to provide security for vulnerable Christian communities in violence-torn areas, Tinubu can make significant strides toward peace only if he is willing to address the religious tensions at play in his country.”
Nigerian government officials have long denied the killings are religiously motivated, but ICC, the Christian Association of Nigeria and numerous humanitarian and watchdog groups have documented that the terrorists target Christians primarily, and sometimes moderate Muslims.
“Many innocent Muslims have also lost their lives or property to these groups,” ICC said in its analysis. “Still, the radical religious extremism driving ISWAP and Boko Haram has resulted in particularly severe violence against Christians.”
The U.S. named Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern in October 2025, and followed the designation with missile strikes in northern Nigeria that led to no reports of casualties.
Killings have continued. In the most recent attacks, at least eight people were killed in Christian communities in the Bassa, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom local government areas of Plateau, in a series of weekend attacks that spanned several hours the evening of April 18, ICC reported.
The killings appeared to be separate from those reported the previous weekend elsewhere in Plateau, when eight extended family members were killed and three injured April 9 in a one-hour attack on Mbwelle village in the Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau. The killings followed attacks on Easter Sunday.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, in its 2026 annual report, described religious freedom conditions in Nigeria as “abysmal,” recommending the continued designation of Nigeria as a CPC. In addition to ISWAP and Boko Haram, USCIRF noted extremist violence against Christians perpetrated by the Islamic State-Sahel Province, militant Fulani and other assailants.
“Federal and state governments continued to tolerate, inadequately respond to or investigate, or otherwise fail to pursue justice for religious violence by nonstate actors,” USCIRF said in its report, citing killings by terrorists noted above. Also, several states in northern Nigeria enforce Sharia and blasphemy laws that persecute Christians.
USCIRF recommended the Trump administration “enter into a binding agreement with the Nigerian government, under Section 405(c) of IRFA (the International Religious Freedom Restoration Act), to encourage substantial steps to address violations of freedom of religion or belief,” the report reads, “including reporting on religious violence, returning displaced persons to their homes, and improving security and military training; and tie foreign assistance as well as bilateral policies on trade, arms purchases, and visa reciprocation to benchmarks on religious freedom improvement.”
Nigeria is the deadliest country for Christians targeted for their faith, Open Doors reports annually, with 3,490 Christians killed there in the year preceding the release of the 2026 World Watch List in January.
This article was originally published by Baptist Press.
Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer.