A banner that reads “End Christian Genocide in Nigeria” has appeared on the streets of New York, shining a light on the scale of violence that continues to affect Christian communities across parts of the country.
Reports from monitoring groups show the numbers remain high.
According to the Open Doors World Watch List for 2026, terrorists took the lives of 3,490 Christians in Nigeria in the reporting period from October 2024 to September 2025.
That figure makes up about 72 percent of all such deaths recorded worldwide during that time.
Nigeria sits at number seven on the list, which tracks persecution of Christians in 50 countries.
In the early months of 2026 the pattern has continued.
One local group, Intersociety, has reported more than 1,400 Christians killed or abducted in the first 96 days of the year alone.
Attacks often take place in villages in the Middle Belt states such as Benue, Plateau and Kaduna, as well as in parts of the northeast.
Terrorists move into farming communities, target homes and places of worship, and leave families displaced or without their land.
The violence forms part of a wider security problem that includes operations by groups linked to Boko Haram and other extremists.
Christians in rural areas bear a heavy share of the losses, though people of other faiths also suffer in different parts of the country.
Many survivors speak of sudden raids that force entire villages to flee, with churches damaged or destroyed and livelihoods lost.
President Bola Tinubu’s government has repeatedly said the root causes lie in terrorism, criminal activity and competition over resources rather than a campaign aimed at one religious group.
Officials point to efforts by the security forces to respond and stress that the challenge affects the whole nation.
At the same time, Christian leaders and international observers call for stronger protection for vulnerable communities and faster action against those who carry out the attacks.
The banner in New York adds to voices from the Nigerian diaspora who want greater global attention on the issue.
They argue that the steady toll of lives lost and communities uprooted deserves clearer recognition and practical steps to bring safety to affected areas.
Nigeria remains Africa’s most populous country, with Christians forming a large part of the population.
For many families in the hardest-hit regions, normal daily life now includes fear of the next incident.
As one report after another highlights the numbers, the question of how to restore peace and security for everyone continues to press on leaders at home and abroad.
