Investigative Report Links Jihadist Fulani Militants to 80% of Killings in Nigeria’s South-East | #NwokeukwuMascot

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A damning investigative report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has revealed that jihadist Fulani herdsmen are responsible for approximately 80 percent of violent killings in Nigeria’s South-East region since 2015.

The report, released earlier this week, detailed that out of an estimated 9,800 killings recorded in the region within the last decade, more than 8,000 were attributed to jihadist attacks—largely affecting Enugu and Imo States. The disturbing findings further revealed that around 300 Christians were murdered in the first quarter of 2025 alone, allegedly by jihadist elements.

One of the most harrowing incidents highlighted in the report occurred on February 2, 2025, in the Nkalaha area of Ishielu Local Government in Ebonyi State, where at least 20 residents were reportedly hacked to death in a brutal, broad-daylight attack.

The report also implicated the Nigerian military in widespread extrajudicial killings. It alleged that between January and March 2025, military forces were responsible for the deaths of no fewer than 200 civilians under the guise of “neutralising” members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN).

“The situation in the South-East has reached an alarming level, with about 600 secret locations identified as operational bases for jihadist militants,” said Emeka Umeagbalasi, Chairman of Intersociety. “These groups operate in an estimated 1,000 locations across Eastern Nigeria and are believed to possess up to 400,000 illicit small arms and light weapons.”

The report provided a grim breakdown of the death toll across the South-East region:

• Enugu State: 1,800 deaths (April 2016 – March 2025), with major attacks in Ugwu-Onyeama, Ugwuogo-Nike-Opi-Nsukka, and Nkanu East.
• Abia State: 2,000 deaths (June 2015 – March 2025), especially in Uturu, Umunneochi, and Isiukwuato.
• Imo State: 2,100 deaths (January 2020 – March 2025), notably in Okigwe, Orlu, Oguta, and Ohaji/Egbema.
• Ebonyi State: 1,000 deaths (June 2015 – March 2025), including attacks in Ishielu, Izzi, and Ohaukwu.
• Anambra State: 800 deaths (June 2015 – March 2025), particularly in Awka North, Dunukofia, and Orumba North.

Intersociety linked the upsurge in jihadist violence to the period following the inauguration of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, accusing his administration of ignoring the mounting threat posed by jihadist groups operating in the region.

“In the past decade, over 9,800 people have lost their lives due to jihadist violence in the South-East, while another 10,500 were killed in military operations that targeted civilians based on ethnic and religious profiling,” the report stated.

The Nigerian military has come under increasing criticism over what many see as a lopsided approach to security enforcement in the region. “There is a pattern of selective law enforcement,” said a local activist who requested anonymity. “While jihadist groups continue their activities unchecked, innocent civilians are often labeled as terrorists and subjected to deadly military raids.”

Further compounding the threat is the alleged formation of a coordinated jihadist alliance in 2020 in Niger State, comprising Boko Haram, Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP), Ansaru, and various Fulani militant factions, according to the report.

Despite widespread public concern and mounting calls for a decisive response, the Nigerian government is yet to issue an official statement regarding the serious allegations made in the report.

Security analysts have warned that without immediate and comprehensive intervention, the fragile security situation in the South-East could spiral into a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe.

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