Nigeria: Nearly 56,000 Dead in Four Years

The document published by ORFA reports more than 11,000 incidents of extreme violence between October 2019 and September 2023. The toll of these abuses stands at 55,910 deaths recorded during 9,970 deadly attacks, as well as 21,621 people kidnapped during 2,705 attacks. The report adds up the deaths of civilians, members of terrorist groups, and the Nigerian armed forces.

Of the total, 30,880 were civilians, and among them, at least 16,769 Christians were killed, to which must be added 6,235 Muslims and 154 followers of traditional African religions. The religion of 7,722 victims is unknown. However, proportionally, the deaths of Christians are much higher in the states where the attacks took place.

Comparing the number of deaths to the population of the states, the report shows that Christians were 6.5 times more likely to be killed in acts of violence. Similarly, Christians are 5.1 times more likely to be victims of kidnapping. “Millions of people are left defenseless,” said Frans Vierhout, senior analyst at ORFA.

The Profile of the Attackers

According to the report, 81% of civilians died in attacks. About 42% of these killings were carried out by Fulanis who invaded small Christian farming communities to kill, rape, kidnap, and burn homes. The Fulanis, Sunni Muslim Fulani herdsmen, killed at least 9,153 Christians and at least 1,473 Muslims. The religion of 1,267 of their victims is unknown.

About 41% of the attacks were carried out by various groups, which the report categorizes as “other terrorist groups.” However, the report notes that the “other” category likely “consists of various groups of ‘Fulani bandits’ who are as much part of the Fulani ethnic militias… as armed Fulani herdsmen,” ACI Africa notes.

The “other” terrorist groups were responsible for 10,274 killings, including at least 3,804 Christians and 2,919 Muslims. The religion of about 3,503 victims is unknown. At least 78 people killed in attacks by Fulani herdsmen and “other terrorist groups” belonged to traditional African religions.

“Ethnic Fulani militias are targeting Christian populations, while Muslims are also suffering greatly from their actions,” another ORFA analyst said in a statement quoted by ACI Africa. “The kidnappers are pursuing Islamist goals,” he added. They are abducting young women, raping them, and extinguishing the hope of families, he said.

Nina Shea, director of the Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom, told CNA that “the number of people killed and abducted is staggering and the documentation is now irrefutable.” She added that “the Fulani militants are waging a religious war, a jihad, against undefended Christian farming communities in large areas of Nigeria.”

And “it is equally undeniable and shocking that the Nigerian government has watched and tolerated these relentless attacks for many years. The militants’ goal of eradicating the Christian presence through murder, forced conversion to Islam, and expulsion from their homeland appears to be shared by the government in Abuja, or it would take action.”

Mrs. Shea finally criticized the US Department of State (DOS) for its repeated refusal to designate Nigeria as a “country of particular concern” and to place it on the watch list of countries responsible for serious violations of religious freedom.

ACI Africa recalls that Nigeria was first included in this list in 2020, the last year of the Trump administration. However, it was removed in 2021, the first year of President Joe Biden’s administration. The current report attributes the Nigerian violence to “intercommunal clashes” and “competition for resources.”