Fulani Militants Surpass Boko Haram in Nigeria’s Deadly Violence Against Christians

Abuja, Nigeria – A new report by the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA) has revealed a shocking trend in Nigeria’s ongoing violence: Fulani militants and allied “bandit” groups have killed more civilians than Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) combined over the past four years.

According to the report, between October 2019 and September 2023, Fulani bandits were responsible for the deaths of 12,039 civilians, while Fulani herdsmen killed 11,948 people.

In comparison, Boko Haram and ISWAP accounted for 3,079 civilian deaths during the same period.

The ORFA report highlights the significant role played by the Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) in the violence, particularly targeting Christians.

Of the 30,880 civilians killed in the past four years, 16,769 were Christians, while 6,235 Muslims were also killed. Abductions have also increased dramatically, with 21,532 civilians abducted. Of these, 11,185 were Christians, compared to 7,899 Muslims.

The report stresses that the violence disproportionately affects Christians, with a 6.5 to 1 ratio of Christians to Muslims killed.

The most violent areas are Nigeria’s North West and North Central regions, where attacks by Fulani herdsmen and other terrorist groups are most common.

The findings of the ORFA report underscore the urgent need for the Nigerian government to address the root causes of the violence and to implement effective measures to protect civilians.