A new six-year investigation by (ORFA) has revealed that 79,323 people were killed in terrorism-related violence in Nigeria between 2020 and 2025, while 34,773 civilians were abducted within the same period.
The findings were presented in on Tuesday in a report titled “Four Times Boko Haram? How the World Misreads Nigeria’s Violence,” according to a statement signed by ORFA’s Senior Research Analyst, .
According to the report, the scale of violence translates to an average of seven attacks and 36 deaths daily.
“A total of 79,323 people were killed in Nigeria between 2020 and 2025 — an average of seven attacks per day. More than 42,000 of those killed were innocent civilians,” the report stated.
ORFA, which monitors religious freedom, documents human rights violations and conducts research to support policy and advocacy, said its investigators spent years analysing attack patterns, with findings challenging widely held assumptions about the drivers of violence in Nigeria.
The report showed that 42,033 civilians were killed during the six-year period, while security personnel and members of terrorist groups accounted for the remaining 37,290 deaths.
The study challenged the widespread belief that and (ISWAP) are the primary perpetrators of violence in Nigeria.
According to ORFA, Boko Haram and ISWAP were responsible for only 12 per cent of civilian killings, with Boko Haram accounting for eight per cent and ISWAP four per cent.
The report stated that armed groups classified as “Fulani Terror Groups” accounted for 44 per cent of all civilian deaths, representing 18,577 killings, compared to the combined 4,941 civilian deaths linked to Boko Haram and ISWAP.
ORFA stressed that it distinguishes between armed Fulani groups and the broader Fulani population.
“ORFA is careful to distinguish between armed Fulani terror groups and the Fulani people as a whole, the vast majority of whom are not involved in violence,” the report stated.
Vierhout said the data revealed a pattern that can no longer be ignored.
“The data makes this very difficult to ignore. We examined how killings occur, who the victims are, where attacks take place and the seasonal patterns of violence. The evidence points strongly in one direction,” he said.
He added, “Violence linked to Fulani militias is the dominant force behind Nigeria’s death toll. The Western preoccupation with Boko Haram is, at best, misleading.
“Nigeria is incubating a terror network which the outside world has yet to acknowledge.”
The report also documented 34,773 civilian abductions during the review period, noting that armed groups classified as “Fulani Terror Groups” and “Unidentified Terror Groups” were responsible for 43 per cent and 49 per cent of the abductions, respectively.
ORFA also highlighted what it described as a religious dimension to the violence.
According to the report, 28,551 Christians and 13,224 Muslims were killed during the review period.
It stated that, when adjusted for state population figures, Christians in affected states were killed at 4.4 times the rate of Muslims.
The report also referenced a “Captivity by Creed” pattern based on survivor testimonies.
According to ORFA, Muslim captives generally faced lower ransom demands and less violence, while Christian captives were subjected to higher ransom demands, a greater risk of execution and, in the case of women, a higher risk of sexual violence.
The organisation added that 15,932 Christians and 15,272 Muslims were abducted during the period.
However, the report noted that Christian hostages were more likely to endure prolonged negotiations, harsher treatment and execution, even after ransom payments were made.
ORFA’s Senior Research Analyst and author of Captivity by Creed: The Religious Sorting System Nobody Talks About, , said the findings pointed to a recurring pattern.
“The field research reveals that a lesser value is assigned to a Christian life. From the moment of capture, Muslim and Christian hostages enter different realities. It is not about individual captors. It is a system that is consistent across multiple states, armed groups and years of survivor testimony,” he said.
The investigation also found that 75 per cent of civilian deaths occurred during attacks on communities, many involving raids on farming settlements, abductions, rape and destruction of property.
ORFA said its database captured up to 60 data points for each incident, drawing from five sources, including field research, local partners, academic institutions, media and NGO reports, as well as verified social media content.
The organisation called for a broader understanding of Nigeria’s insecurity, arguing that efforts to tackle the crisis would remain incomplete without recognising its religious dimensions.
“They urge recognition that, without a full accounting of the religious dimensions of violence in Nigeria, attempts to find lasting solutions will remain incomplete,” the statement added.