SW News: The Ibadan Ecclesiastical Province of the Catholic Church in Nigeria is pleading with the government to step up security to safeguard citizens' lives and property. Following their two-day meeting, the Catholic Bishops released a statement that mentions recent instances of insecurity in the West African nation and emphasized the need for "new technologies" to deal with the issue.

The leaders of the Catholic Church issued the following statement after their meeting: "We urge the authorities to strengthen existing security measures to protect life and property, to add new technology, and to apprehend and decimate those who engage in such criminal activities in our region and across the country."

The general elections slated for February 25 will be crucial, according to the leaders of the Catholic Church, so proper security is crucial, they said.

According to Human Rights watchdog Open Doors, Nigeria's embedded aim of forced Islamization, which is most pronounced in the north of the country and has been progressively expanding south, targets Christians and results in persecution.

Forced Islamization has aggravated thanks to violent and nonviolent tactics since the northern states swore allegiance to Sharia (Islamic law) in 1999. Attacks by Islamic militant groups have increased consistently since 2015, but the government has failed to prevent the rise in violence, which affects all Nigerians, particularly Christians.

In the north, where terrorist organizations like Boko Haram, Islamic State's West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Fulani militants target their victims with murder, physical harm, kidnapping, and sexual assault, violence is most common. Christians have been evicted from their homes and livelihoods. Many are either refugees or internally displaced individuals.

Christians experience prejudice and exclusion as second-class citizens in the Sharia states of northern Nigeria. Christians from Muslim backgrounds frequently experience physical abuse, pressure to renounce their faith, and rejection from their own families.