USCIRF Releases New Report about Violent Islamist Groups in Northern Nigeria

USCIRF Releases New Report about Violent Islamist Groups in Northern Nigeria

Washington, DC – The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) today released the following new report on religious freedom violations committed by violent Islamist groups in northern Nigeria:

Northern Nigeria Factsheet – Violent Islamist groups based in northern Nigeria remain some of the deadliest and most formidable jihadist groups operating in the world today. Estimates suggest that conflict with groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa Province has resulted in the deaths of more than 37,500 people since 2011, and there is a reasonable basis to believe that these groups have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. This factsheet explores the current array of violent Islamist groups operating in northern Nigeria, the religious freedom violations they have committed in the past year, and the state of counterterrorism efforts in the country.

In its 2020 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate Boko Haram as an “entity of particular concern,” or EPC, under the International Religious Freedom Act for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. In December 2020, USCIRF released a country update on religious freedom conditions in Nigeria.

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The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on threats to religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a Commissioner, please contact USCIRF at [email protected].