On May 12, a Nigerian Christian student named Deborah Emmanuel Yakubu was stoned, beaten to death, and her body burnt in Sokoto, Nigeria, by her fellow classmates because of allegations of blasphemy. On May 16, protestors in Borno State, Nigeria, went to police headquarters in Maiduguri demanding the release of Christian woman Naomi Goni so that they could kill her for alleged blasphemy on social media. On May 20, rioters in Bauchi State, Nigeria, set Christian-owned homes and stores on fire based on allegedly blasphemous statements made online by Christian woman Rhoda Jatau.
While violent murders and riots over allegations of blasphemy have occurred sporadically in Northern Nigeria for decades, the recent string of attacks and the high-profile coverage of the murder of Deborah Emmanuel is a troubling indicator of what may become a new normal in Nigeria. The increase in mob violence related to blasphemy accusations resembles the reality in Pakistan, a country infamous for its harsh treatment of alleged blasphemers.
In February of this year, a mentally disabled man, Muhammad Mushtaq, was tortured and lynched after being accused of burning pages from the Quran inside a mosque in Pakistan. Ninety individuals have been killed in mob violence for blasphemy allegations in Pakistan since 1947.
Pakistan sees more mob killings related to blasphemy allegations than any country in the world. Joining them as one of the worst countries for such attacks is Nigeria, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. But while the U.S. sanctions Pakistan as one of the worst violators of religious freedom, Nigeria inexplicably had similar sanctions lifted in Dec. 2021.
Open Doors’ World Watch List tracks the worst places in the world to be a Christian and, often, any other religious minority. Pakistan was ranked the 8th worst country, in large part because of its blasphemy laws and the mob violence they inspire against Christians, Hindus, and others. But edging out Pakistan for the first time this year? Nigeria at 7th place.