Islamic jihadism threatening Africa’s 750m Christians population, claims rights group, Intersociety

~ Says Nigeria currently hosts 22 terror groups

By Ifeizu Joe

Onitsha based human rights group, International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has claimed in its latest report that a new wave of Islamic jihadism is threatening the over 750 million Christian population in Africa.

In the report which was signed by the Board of Trustees Chairman of the group, Mr Emeka Umeagbalasi and other top researchers from the group, Intersociety claimed that killing of Christians in the continent was yet to abate.

In the report which it claimed was collected over a period of time, the group analyzed Christian killings across the continent, especially Nigeria.

Part of the report read: “According to monitored, tracked, collected, analyzed and archived statistics, an estimated 750m Christians in Africa, roughly half of the Continent’s estimated population of about 1.5billion are religiously endangered-majorly by a swarm of Islamic terror groups.

“Africa’s 750m Christians are also found to have been threatened by more than 40-50 Islamic terror groups assembled from Africa, Middle-East and former Soviet States and the Europe; locally and internationally funded by some Sultanate oil sheiks majorly drawn from the Gulf Cooperation Council region.

“They are also allegedly funded by some roguish Islamic regimes, radical Islamic groups and Islamist politicians using stolen and stashed away public funds.”

The group further added that: “Among the Islamic terror groups and their physical and digital networks troubling Christians in Africa are the ISIS-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), ISIS-linked Boko Haram, Ansaru and ISWAP, the Boko Haram/ISWAP-allied Jihadist Fulani Herdsmen and Jihadist Fulani Bandits; the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awatti (JAS), the Jamaa’at Nusrat al-Islam (JNIM)-active in West Africa, Sahel and Maghreb.

Others are the Islamic State in Greater Sahara, the Islamic State Sahel Province, the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)-Al-Qaeda in the Lands of Islamic Maghreb and other ISIS and ISIL-linked Islamic terror networks including IS-CAP (Islamic State-Central Africa)-all under general control and supremacy of the global Al-Qaeda Networks (“the Base”) of Osman Bin Laden-founded in 1988.

“From our recent research findings, while jihadist activities are largely non-state actor originated in Congo DRC and Ethiopia, they are found to be both state actor and non-state actor originated in Nigeria where they are inches away from doorstep of the country’s State Power in furtherance of their dreaded whims and caprices.

“Nigeria presently hosts highest number of Islamic terror groups (at least 22) not only in Africa-to the extent that in the past 15 months of December 2024 to February 2026, the country recorded highest number of attacks against Christians-with no fewer than 7,500 Christian deaths and 8,500 abducted Christians in 2025 alone.

“In the last 15 months of December 2024 February 2026, no fewer than 400 churches and other Christian worship centers were burned down or destroyed or closed down.”

On how it came by the estimated number of Christians in Africa, the group said:”By our monitored, tracked, collected, analysed and archived statistics, Africa used to be a continent with approximately 10m Christians as of 1900AD-1910AD and by 2025, a period of about 125 years thereafter, the number had exponentially increased to 750m-with additional 740m-out of the Continent’s estimated current population of 1.5billion.

“It is therefore our strong warning that if these hydra-headed monsters are not timely and frontally dealt with in the nearest future, the number of Christians in Africa is likely going to shrink brutally downwards in 50-75 years’ time by 90% especially by end of 2100AD-after which the remaining 75m will likely be deleted or obliterated before or at the end of 2125AD by would-be speedily growing number of ‘Islamic Sultanates’.”