6,000 persons lost to religious violence in 2 years — Mutfwang

By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA—Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State, has raised the alarm over rising religiously motivated violence in Nigeria, revealing that more than 6,000 people were killed in 2023 alone.

Speaking at the National Christian Leaders FORB Conference in Abuja, themed “Defending Religious Freedom as a Gospel Imperative,” Mutfwang, represented by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Philemon Daffi, said coordinated national action was needed to prevent further bloodshed.

Citing figures from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), he said most of the deaths occurred in the Middle Belt, where conflicts are often framed in religious and ethnic terms. He urged the Federal Government to establish a multi-agency Early Warning and Early Response (EWER) system to detect and de-escalate tensions before they turn violent.

Mutfwang also referenced reports by the International Society for Civil Liberties & the Rule of Law, noting that attacks frequently involve the destruction of worship centres, displacement of communities, and cycles of reprisal. He further pointed to structural discrimination such as state funding of pilgrimages and reservation of public offices along religious lines, which he said undermines constitutional neutrality.

The governor lamented what Amnesty International has described as a “climate of impunity,” where investigations into mass killings are slow or ineffective, eroding public confidence in justice delivery. He recommended creating dedicated units within Ministries of Justice to monitor and prosecute cases of religious violations, alongside amendments to criminal laws to close gaps and safeguard freedoms.

“Together, early intervention and strong legal accountability will secure peaceful religious practice,” he said, while calling for interfaith dialogue, civic education, anti-intolerance campaigns, and independent panels to investigate systemic failures.

On the sidelines, Dr. Gloria Pulda, President of the LEAH Foundation, said the forum was convened to unite Christian leaders against religious violence, with similar sessions planned for Muslim and traditional leaders. She also renewed calls for the release of Leah Sharibu, still held by ISIS-linked militants seven years after her abduction in Dapo

“She remains in captivity simply because she refused to renounce her Christian faith,” Pulda said. “She represents every woman and child still in captivity. We will not stop demanding her freedom.”

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