From Jude Dangwam, Jos

The Legal Officer of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Plateau State, Barr. Salisu Isa has reacted to a report detailing violent deaths in some parts of Nigeria, saying it is a product of flawed research work.

A report by the Observatory of Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA) has shown that over 55,910 civilian deaths were recorded in Nigeria during a comprehensive four-year study from October 2019 to September 2023.

Isa said, “Thank God I’m from Plateau State in the North Central part of Nigeria. It is true that there have been killings over the years in these areas mentioned but I don’t know how they come about this conclusion.

“Until I see the methodology they deployed in arriving at this report…But I want to tell you that I cannot agree with the report that the perpetrators of these killings are Fulanis.

“I agree that there are criminals among the Fulanis just like any other ethnic nationalities, but coming to the conclusion that the killings are perpetrated by Fulani ethnic militia, I disagree.

“A lot of Fulanis are also casualties in these killings within the zone. There are so many animals that have been rustled, and when our people go after their cattle it becomes a problem.

“Fulanis live in rural areas and some of these organizations easily meet people in the city and towns and collect information without going to meet the Fulani in the rural areas to also hear from them.”

The research highlights the escalating violence particularly in the North Central Zone and Southern Kaduna higher, where widespread mass killings, abductions, and family torture are reported to occur with minimal intervention from security forces.

This was contained in a statement issued to newsmen in Jos, Plateau State by Frans Vierhout, the Data Scientist at ORFA, attributing the key drivers to the ravaging activities of suspected Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) in the country.

The release notes that by the end of 2023, the International Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) reported that 3.3 million Nigerians were forcibly displaced from their homes, surviving in makeshift camps.

Vierhout noted that data from the years of research has indicated that FEM’s violent activities are predominantly concentrated in the North Central zone and Southern Kaduna areas that have suffered significantly from their attacks.

The report said while military resources are concentrated in the North-East and North-West of Nigeria, lot of FEM’s atrocities occur in the areas studied.

The report reads in path, “Across the country, over 11,000 incidents of extreme violence took place during the data period, with more than 55,000 killings and 21,000 abductions.

“In the North Central zone alone, 3,007 incidents of extreme violence occurred, 2,010 incidents involved killings, 700 were abduction incidents, and 297 were a combination of killings and abductions.

“The Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) killed at least 42% of all civilians, while Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province) combined killed 10%.

“FEM, an ethno-religious terror group is considered by many security experts to be a ‘twin’ of Islamists killing and kidnapping civilians in Northern Nigeria. Land-based community attacks form the largest category of civilian killings (81%).

“FEM invade small Christian farming settlements to kill, rape, abduct, and burn homes. 2.7 Christians were killed for every Muslim in the reporting period.

“Islamist extremists kill both Muslims and Christians although Christian death tolls are far higher. Proportional loss: in states where attacks occur, proportional loss to Christian communities is exceptionally high.

“In terms of state populations, 6.5 times as many Christians are being murdered as Muslims.”

Vierhout also pointed that the ORFA data project also uncovers a troubling trend in abductions across Nigeria, with incidents rising during the four-year period.

The statistics indicate that 1,665 people were abducted in 2020, 5,907 in 2021, 7,705 in 2022, and 6,255 in 2023.

Furthermore, the data shows Christians are 1.4 times more likely to be abducted than Muslims, with an estimated 5.1 Christians abducted for every Muslim within local populations.

“This pattern underscores the targeted nature of these kidnappings, especially by the Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM), which often focuses on Christian communities.

“It also reveals that analysts like Rev. Dr. Gideon Para-Mallam recognize this as a component of a larger strategy to destabilize and terrorize vulnerable groups,” Vierhout stated.

The Data Scientist maintained that the report underscores the alarming trend of mass violence that has largely gone unchallenged as security agencies focus on remote targets rather than addressing the immediate needs of local communities.

The report therefore called upon the international community to pay close attention to the alarming findings, emphasizing the critical need for increased global involvement in combating the trend of human rights violations, illustrating a narrative of “besieged communities and government indecision” .