Insecurity: New Report Uncovers a Grim Reality

Insecurity: New Report Uncovers a Grim Reality

A startling six-year investigation has uncovered disturbing details about the scale and drivers of violence in Nigeria, revealing that more than 79,000 people lost their lives and nearly 35,000 civilians were abducted between 2020 and 2025.
The findings, released on Tuesday in Jos, Plateau State, by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA), are contained in a report titled “Four Times Boko Haram? How the World Misreads Nigeria’s Violence.”
According to the report, 79,323 people were killed in terrorism-related violence during the period, averaging seven attacks and 36 deaths every day. Of those killed, 42,033 were civilians, while security personnel and members of armed groups accounted for the remaining fatalities.
In a revelation that challenges widely held assumptions, the report claims that Boko Haram and ISWAP were responsible for only 12 percent of civilian deaths, despite often being viewed as the primary sources of insecurity in Nigeria.
Instead, ORFA’s data suggests that armed groups it categorised as “Fulani Terror Groups” accounted for 44 percent of all civilian killings, representing nearly four times the number attributed to Boko Haram and ISWAP combined.
Researchers said years of cross-checking attack patterns, targets, locations and seasonal trends led them to conclusions that could reshape discussions around Nigeria’s security crisis.
“The data makes this very difficult to ignore,” said ORFA Senior Research Analyst, Frans Vierhout, who argued that the global focus on Boko Haram may be overlooking a much larger threat.
The report also documented 34,773 civilian abductions, stating that groups identified as Fulani militants and unidentified armed groups were responsible for the overwhelming majority of kidnappings.
Another striking aspect of the findings is the report’s claim of a significant religious dimension to the violence. According to ORFA, 28,551 Christians were killed compared to 13,224 Muslims during the period under review.
Drawing from survivor testimonies, the organisation further alleged that Christian hostages often face higher ransom demands, longer captivity, greater violence and a higher risk of execution, even after payments are made.
Steven Kefas, a senior analyst with ORFA, described the trend as a systematic pattern rather than isolated incidents, saying victims frequently experience different treatment based on their religious identity.
The report further revealed that 75 percent of civilian deaths occurred during attacks on communities, often involving raids on farming settlements, kidnappings, sexual violence and destruction of property.
ORFA said its conclusions were based on extensive data collection from multiple sources, including field investigations, local partners, academic projects, media reports and verified social media evidence.
The organisation urged authorities and the international community to take a broader view of Nigeria’s security challenges, warning that efforts to address the crisis may fall short if the religious dimensions highlighted in the report are ignored.