Christian women and girls in Nigeria face an increased risk of killings, abductions, sexual violence and forced marriage.
These concerns were outlined by five UN human rights experts in a joint letter to the Nigerian government, which noted a “deteriorating security situation” in northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt, as well as its consequences for Christian and other religious communities, particularly women and girls, reports Christian Today.
The letter primarily attributes the acts of violence to non-state armed groups operating in the affected regions, including Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Fulani herder militias.
The document points to the broader vulnerability of women in Nigeria, noting that according to a study, more than one in five women (21%) aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical or sexual violence.
According to the letter, thousands of attacks took place between 2019 and 2025, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, most of them Christians.
The letter highlights several cases, including that of a 13-year-old girl from Nabordo, Bauchi State, who was allegedly forcibly converted to another faith and married to a 15-year-old boy. According to the letter, attempts by her father to regain custody were blocked by a Sharia commission and court, after which an appeal was filed in Jos.
It was reported that on November 12, 2025, Boko Haram militants abducted two daughters of a pastor of the Church of Christ along with other members of the community in the Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State. Their whereabouts remain unknown, and no ransom demands or updates from the authorities have been received.
Another case concerns a 16-year-old Christian girl from Kaduna State who was reportedly dismembered on December 13, 2025, after her family refused to consent to a forced marriage demanded by militants. Some suspects were subsequently arrested, while others reportedly went into hiding.
In 2025, shortly after her wedding, an adult Christian woman was abducted and allegedly subjected to sexual violence while in captivity.
The letter expresses “grave concern” over alleged abductions and sexual assaults against girls, as well as cases of forced marriage and forced conversion to another faith.
Alongside these cases, the experts referred to the broader pattern of attacks on Christian villages in Borno State and highlighted a number of recent incidents across the country.
They stated that 3,490 of the 4,849 Christians “killed for their faith worldwide in 2025” were killed in Nigeria, accounting for around 72% of the global total.
The UN experts stated that in some cases, the security situation in Nigeria is exacerbated by “public and institutional complicity, acquiescence or negligence”.
As LF reported, a memorandum was submitted to the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief alleging that the escalation of violence against Christians and moderate Muslims in the country amounts to genocide. The memorandum was prepared by Genocide Watch and the Alliance Against Genocide and addressed to UN Special Rapporteur Nazila Ghanea.
