A recent report by The Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa reveals that ethnic and religious violence in Nigeria has resulted in nearly 56,000 deaths over four years, with Christians being disproportionately affected. The study, covering the period from October 2019 to September 2023, recorded over 11,000 incidents of extreme violence, leading to 55,910 deaths and 21,621 abductions.

Among the 30,880 civilian deaths, at least 16,769 were Christians, 6,235 were Muslims, and 154 were adherents of traditional African religions, while the religions of 7,722 victims remain unknown. The report highlights that Christians in the affected states were 6.5 times more likely to be killed and 5.1 times more likely to be abducted, reflecting a significant disproportion in the violence.

The majority of civilian killings (81%) were part of land-based community attacks, with 42% attributed to armed Fulani herdsmen, who targeted Christian farming settlements. These herdsmen, who are Sunni Muslims, were responsible for the deaths of at least 9,153 Christian civilians and 1,473 Muslim civilians. Other terrorist groups, including various Fulani bandit factions, were responsible for 41% of the community attacks, resulting in 10,274 deaths, including at least 3,804 Christians and 2,919 Muslims.

The report also points to Islamist groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, which conducted 11% of the community attacks, killing hundreds of civilians from different religious backgrounds.

The report has led to strong criticism of the Nigerian government for its failure to protect vulnerable communities and the U.S. Department of State for not designating Nigeria as a “Country of Particular Concern,” despite the ongoing violence and targeted attacks against Christians.