A Christian resident of Borno State's Chibok area reportedly signified they will continue to worship God in the face of the Nigerian government supporting their persecution from Boko Haram terrorists.
The International Christian Concern (ICC) said Victoria Dungo signified to Morning Star News through a text message that Christians will not give up their faith in God.
"Burning down our churches will not stop us from worshiping God," Dungo said.
The ICC explained that Christians in the Chibok area have been attacked more than 100 times by the Boko Haram and its offshoot group, the Islamic State West Africa Province, since 2014. The attacks included the abduction of 300 girls and the death of many.
One of the attacks, January 14, 2021, involved the death of three Christians and the abduction of five girls highlighted by the burning of the village's church. Six days later, the Boko Haram attacked again. This time they killed one Christian but abducted 17 Christian girls, whose ages ranged from 10 to 13.
In the Open Doors USA 2022 World Watch List, which is a listing of places where it is difficult to live the Christian faith, Nigeria ranked seventh due to "Islamic oppression." The organization described persecution in Nigeria as "brutally violent," especially in the northern area.
"Christians continue to be attacked indiscriminately and brutally in northern Nigeria, and Nigeria's rank has risen accordingly. The violence has continued unabated-one of the only places in the world where COVID-19 travel restrictions and lockdowns had little impact on attacks against Christians," Open Doors USA said.
Christianity Daily reported early this month that 12 Nigerian states do not abide by the country's constitution that upholds religious freedom. The said states have courts that operate on the Sharia law that follow, "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth," as with Islam.
These state courts handle criminal cases such as blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad. Christians are often attacked by Jihadists--both Fulani militants and Boko Haram--on account of their faith and for accusations of blasphemy.
Last August 2021, a report from the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) revealed that tens of thousands of Christians have been killed in a span of a decade in Nigeria. Islamic radicals would often attack villages, abduct women and girls, and burn houses, churches, and other structures.
The Intersociety report showed a total of 17,500 churches attacked, 2,000 schools lost, at least 72,000 deaths, and 4 million displaced.
This was followed by Christian children in Nigeria burned beyond recognition in September, a month after an orphanage was burned down though no casualties were reported.
Despite the prevalence of violent Christian persecution, the United States Department of State has removed Nigeria from its religious freedom watch list, "Country of Particular Concern," in November. This prompted the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom and various international persecution organizations to react negatively about it.
"USCIRF is disappointed that the State Department did not adopt our recommendations in designating the countries that are the worst violators of religious freedom," USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza said in a statement.
"While the State Department took steps forward on some designations, USCIRF is especially displeased with the removal of Nigeria from its CPC designation, where it was rightfully placed last year, as well as the omission of India, Syria, and Vietnam," Maenza continued.
"We urge the State Department to reconsider its designations based on facts presented in its own reporting," she pleaded.
The U.S. State Department's move came days before the ICC launched the 2021 Persecutor of the Year Awards and named Nigeria as the top country for the award.
