79,323 Killed, 34,773 Abducted in Nigeria Over Six Years — New Report

By Victor Idajili

A six-year investigation by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, ORFA, says 79,323 people were killed and 34,773 civilians were abducted in Nigeria between 2020 and 2025. 

That averages out to 7 attacks and 36 deaths every single day, according to the report titled _“Four Times Boko Haram? How the World Misreads Nigeria’s Violence,”_ unveiled in Jos on Tuesday. 

ORFA’s data shows 42,033 civilians died in the period, while 37,290 were security personnel or members of terror groups. 

The report challenges the common view that Boko Haram and ISWAP are Nigeria’s main killers. Together, the two groups accounted for 12% of civilian deaths — Boko Haram 8%, ISWAP 4%. 

By contrast, groups ORFA classifies as “Fulani Terror Groups” were responsible for 44% of civilian killings — 18,577 deaths — compared to the combined 4,941 attributed to Boko Haram and ISWAP. 

ORFA stressed it is referring to armed groups, not the Fulani ethnic population as a whole. 

“The vast majority of Fulani people are not involved in violence,” the report said. 

ORFA Senior Research Analyst, Frans Vierhout, said the pattern is hard to ignore. 

“Violence linked to Fulani militias is the dominant force behind Nigeria’s death toll. The Western preoccupation with Boko Haram is, at best, misleading,” he stated. 
“Nigeria is incubating a terror network which the outside world has yet to acknowledge.” 

Of the 34,773 abductions recorded: 
43% were by groups ORFA classifies as “Fulani Terror Groups” 
49% by “Unidentified Terror Groups” 

The report also flagged a religious pattern in the violence. Between 2020–2025, 28,551 Christians and 13,224 Muslims were killed. Adjusted for population in affected states, Christians were killed at 4.4 times the rate of Muslims, it said. 

On abductions, 15,932 Christians and 15,272 Muslims were taken. But ORFA said outcomes differed. Citing survivor accounts in a study it calls _“Captivity by Creed”_, the group reported that Muslim captives typically faced lower ransoms and less violence, while Christian captives faced higher ransoms, greater risk of execution, and, for women, a higher risk of sexual violence. Christian hostages were also more likely to endure prolonged negotiations and execution even after ransom was paid. 

Steven Kefas, ORFA’s Senior Research Analyst and author of Captivity by Creed said: 
“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.” 

ORFA found 75% of civilian deaths occurred during community raids, many on farming settlements, and often involving abductions, rape, and property destruction. 

Researchers tracked up to 60 data points per incident using five sources: field research, local partners, academia, media/NGO reports, and verified social media. 

The group said any plan to end insecurity in Nigeria will be incomplete without addressing its religious dimensions. 

The full ORFA 2026 six-year study is available on the organisation’s website.