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The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has raised concerns over what it described as credible reports of killings, abductions, sexual violence and forced conversions targeting Christian and other religious minority communities in Nigeria, particularly in the northern and Middle Belt regions.
The concerns were contained in a press release issued on Monday by the UN human rights office, which warned that worsening insecurity in parts of the country has created an environment where armed groups operate with severe consequences for civilians.
The office said, “These reports are deeply troubling,” adding that the deteriorating security situation in northern Nigeria and the Middle Belt has enabled armed extremist groups and other actors to operate amid persistent allegations of impunity and inadequate protection by authorities.
It further stated that “the testimonies we have received paint a horrifying picture of fear, trauma, coercion and abandonment,” stressing that victims and survivors must be protected and supported, including through justice and reparations.
According to the OHCHR, violence targeting religious minorities continues in several parts of the country, including killings, attacks on places of worship, mass displacement and mob violence linked to blasphemy allegations.
The office expressed particular concern over the risks faced by women and girls, noting that they are exposed to abductions, sexual violence, forced marriage and forced conversion.
“We are particularly alarmed at the very specific and heightened risks of discrimination, violence and exploitation that Christian women and girls are exposed to,” it said, adding that “in many cases, those who resist are reportedly threatened, punished, disappeared or killed.”
The UN rights office referenced a communication to the Nigerian government detailing reported incidents, including abductions and sexual assault of women, the disappearance of girls abducted from a church in Borno State, forced conversion and child marriage in Bauchi State, and an attack on a 16-year-old girl whose hand was allegedly cut off after her family rejected a forced marriage proposal.
It said these incidents form part of a broader pattern of violence affecting communities in parts of northern Nigeria, including attacks on villages, insecurity in displacement camps and ongoing communal conflict.
The office also warned that displaced women and girls remain particularly vulnerable to sexual exploitation and coercion, including being forced into sexual acts in exchange for food or basic necessities, while some reportedly conceal their religious identity for survival.
“If confirmed, these allegations may amount to serious violations of international human rights law, including violations of the rights to life, safety, liberty, security, freedom of religion or belief, freedom from torture, enforced disappearance, slavery and trafficking, and the rights of women and children,” it said.
The OHCHR urged Nigerian authorities to take immediate steps to protect those at risk, secure the release of abducted persons, carry out independent investigations and ensure prosecution of perpetrators.
It warned that “impunity for these crimes only fuels further violence,” urging urgent action to prevent further harm and ensure accountability for all violations.
