By Leah MarieAnn Klett, Christian Post.
Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern (ICC), has spent more than two decades fighting for religious freedom. But as ICC’s 2025 Global Persecution Index reveals, the crisis is worsening.
“The main killing ground for Christians isn’t North Korea — it’s Nigeria,” the Last Words of the Martyrs author told The Christian Post. “Radical Islamists have driven Christians out of the north, pushing them further into the middle belt, which is the agricultural heartland. Militants raid villages, killing and displacing entire communities. It’s a stealth jihad, a massive land grab.”
Despite international condemnation, the Nigerian government’s response has been, at best, lackluster, he said.
“They claim they can’t find the attackers, but it’s a deep-state issue,” King explained. “The security apparatus is controlled by radical elements, and the military often turns a blind eye — or worse, intervenes against Christian self-defense efforts.”
Beyond Nigeria, King warned of a broader crisis sweeping across Africa’s Sahel region. Islamist militancy has taken root in the area, rendering entire swaths of territory ungovernable.
“It’s like ISIS has taken over a whole region,” King said. “And because these areas are so remote, there’s little that can be done to stop it.”
Beyond Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has also seen horrific violence against Christians, he said. Recently, the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist extremist group linked to the Islamic State, beheaded 70 Christians after days of captivity and terror.
As the president of ICC, created in 1995, King has spent over two decades navigating the complex world of religious freedom, assisting Christians who face persecution, and raising global awareness about their plight.
“Advocacy, awareness, and assistance, that’s what we do,” King said. “We’re on the ground in some of the most dangerous places, providing direct aid, rebuilding churches and supporting believers who have lost everything. But we also work behind the scenes, leveraging international pressure to push governments toward justice.”
ICC’s impact extends far beyond aid. In countries where speaking out could mean a death sentence, ICC’s advocacy has led to tangible policy shifts.
Read also: ‘Don’t You Know This City Belongs to Muslims?’: The Persecution of Christians, February 2025 by Raymond Ibrahim, Gatestone Institute