Report: Christians Face Deadly Persecution as Nigeria’s Violence Escalates

ORFA study warns radicalized Fulani militants are driving much of the bloodshed

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Tens of thousands of Christians have been killed in Nigeria over the past six years, many in attacks blamed on radicalized Fulani militant groups, according to a new report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa.

The 105-page study examined killings and abductions recorded between October 2019 and September 2025 and found that 28,551 Christians were killed, compared with 13,224 Muslims. After adjusting for the size of local religious populations in the affected states, ORFA said Christians were dying at a rate about 4.4 times higher than Muslims.

The report recorded 79,323 total deaths during the six-year period, including 42,033 civilians. It said Fulani terror groups were responsible for 44% of civilian deaths, while unidentified terror groups accounted for another 32%. Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province were linked to smaller shares of civilian killings.

ORFA stressed that it distinguishes between armed Fulani militant groups and the broader Fulani ethnic community, most of whom it said are not involved in the violence.

The report said three-quarters of civilian deaths occurred during attacks on farming communities, often involving killings, abductions, sexual violence, and the destruction of homes, churches, farms, and livelihoods. Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where Christian farming communities and Muslim Fulani herders once lived in greater peace, has become one of the deadliest regions in the world for believers.

Abductions remain a major part of the crisis. ORFA recorded 34,773 civilian kidnappings, with Fulani terror groups blamed for 43% and unidentified terror groups for 49%. The report also alleged that Christian hostages often face harsher treatment in captivity, including higher ransom demands, greater risk of execution, forced conversion, sexual violence, and coerced marriage.

“Violence linked to Fulani militias is the dominant force behind Nigeria’s death toll,” said ORFA senior research analyst Frans Vierhout. “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 pointed to a deepening religious dimension in the conflict, citing the spread of extremist Islamist ideology, the expansion of Sharia law in several northern states, and the rise of armed ethnic militias.

ORFA called for stronger international attention to religious freedom in Nigeria, pressure on authorities to end impunity, better cooperation between federal and state governments, accountable community policing, and greater support for survivors through trauma counseling and reintegration programs.

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