USCIRF Reports 12,000 Killed in Anti-Christian Violence in Nigeria Since Beginning of 2012

In a recent report released by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), the non-partisan group says about 12,000 people have been killed since the start of 2012 in the largely anti-Christian violence that has swept across northern Nigeria, International Christian Concern reports. The report also outlines attacks against Muslim leaders and critics, as well as state and private institutions. USCIRF gathered the information from multiple sources, and said it only included the attacks claimed by the Islamic group Boko Haram, so the impact could be even greater. USCIRF has recently recommended to the U.S. government that Nigeria needs to be designated a "Country of Particular Concern" for its violations of religious freedom.