In the face of ongoing genocide targeting Christians in Nigeria, the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), United Kingdom, has partnered with ACN International (Bischof-Kinderman-Straße, Königstein, Germany) to launch an international campaign.
This initiative aims to gather signatures on petitions highlighting the atrocities committed against Christians, which will be forwarded to the United Nations (UN).
This disclosure was made recently by the body on social media, which provided an online form for petitioners to sign up.
“Nigeria is just one of many countries facing religious persecution,” ACN decried, urging, “You can make a difference in the lives of those persecuted for their faith, sign our petition today.”
A Case for Dignity, Justice and Peace
“Some 5.4 billion people — almost two-thirds of humanity — live in 62 countries where persecution, oppression, and discrimination are perpetrated by their own government or extremist groups, according to our Religious Freedom in the World Report,” ACN noted.
The charity urged all people of goodwill to join in the “worldwide call for fresh action by the United Nations as well as the UK Government and urge them to uphold Article 18 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.”
Titled, “Article 18 Petition: Religious freedom: A human right, not a privilege,” the petition is coming on the heels of grim figures of the killing of Christians across the Middle Belt region of Nigeria by suspected Fulani militia.
Fiery Plateau cleric and activist, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, in a pensive mood, lays hands on the caskets of local miners recently killed by suspected Fulani militia in Kuru, Plateau State, north-central, Nigeria
In May 2025, Amnesty International revealed that over 10,000 people have been killed across central and northern Nigeria in the two years since President Bola Tinubu assumed office.
The organisation has attributed this alarming rise in fatalities to the administration’s failure to address the escalating jihadist attacks, banditry, and communal violence.
In its annual World Watch list, Open Doors, an Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that supports Christians worldwide, reported that Christians in 50 countries face the “most extreme persecution.”
It states that 1 in 7 Christians worldwide live in situations with at least “high” levels of persecution and discrimination, including 1 in 5 in Africa and 1 in 7 in Asia.
Additionally, it discloses that 7,679 churches and Christian properties were attacked, and the number of countries with “extreme” or “very high” persecution has risen from 23 in 2015 to 60 in 2024.
In Defence of Freedom of Religion, Belief
ACN cited Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which “guarantees everyone the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion,” as a legal and moral basis while lamenting that, sadly, “across the world, this fundamental right is under threat.”
Further providing evidence, the organisation detailed that “Over 5 billion people live in countries where there is persecution, oppression, and discrimination.”
It underscored that “Our petition calls on governments and international bodies to uphold and protect Article 18.”
The Petition requires a name and an email, which the charity disclosed, “will be collated by the ACN International head office for submission to the UN.”
ACN is Pope Leo’s Charity for the Persecuted and Suffering Church. It works diligently to provide humanitarian support to the persecuted flock across the world.
