By Peace Erewunmi

A new report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA) has challenged common perceptions about insecurity in Nigeria, concluding that armed Fulani militias were responsible for significantly more civilian deaths than the combined activities of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) over a six-year period. The findings have sparked renewed debate about the country’s evolving security challenges.

According to the report, which analysed incidents of violence between October 2019 and September 2025, a total of 79,323 people were killed in terror-related attacks across Nigeria, while 34,773 civilians were abducted during the same period. Researchers estimated that more than 42,000 of those killed were civilians.

The study claims that armed Fulani militias accounted for about 44 percent of all civilian deaths recorded during the review period. By comparison, Boko Haram and ISWAP together were responsible for approximately 12 percent of civilian killings. Based on these figures, ORFA concluded that the militias caused roughly four times as many civilian fatalities as the two jihadist groups combined.

Researchers said the findings were based on an extensive review of attack reports, field investigations, and multiple independent data sources. They argued that international attention has largely focused on Boko Haram and ISWAP, while violence attributed to armed Fulani militias has received comparatively less recognition in global counterterrorism discussions.

The report’s authors urged governments and international partners to broaden their understanding of Nigeria’s security crisis, noting that the country’s violence involves multiple armed actors with different motives, including terrorism, banditry, communal conflicts, and organised criminal activity. They stressed that effective security responses require strategies tailored to the different threats rather than concentrating on a single group.

Security experts have long maintained that Nigeria’s insecurity is multifaceted, involving insurgent organisations, bandit networks, farmer-herder conflicts, separatist groups, and other criminal elements operating across different regions. They note that attributing attacks can sometimes be difficult, and casualty figures may vary depending on the methodology and data sources used by different organisations.

The ORFA report has generated mixed reactions among analysts and policymakers. While some say it highlights the need to devote greater attention to all forms of armed violence in Nigeria, others caution that the findings represent the conclusions of a single research organisation and should be considered alongside other independent studies and official security assessments.

The report concludes that addressing Nigeria’s security crisis will require stronger law enforcement, improved intelligence gathering, better protection for vulnerable communities, accountability for perpetrators, and closer cooperation between government institutions, local communities, and international partners. It argues that a comprehensive approach is essential to reducing violence and restoring lasting peace across affected regions.