Fulani Militia Shifts from Mass Killings to Lucrative Mass Abductions
A TruthNigeria Investigation
By Mike Odeh James and Luka Binniyat
(Kaduna, Nigeria) — A kidnapping explosion across Benue, Kaduna, Kogi, and Kwara has trapped as many as 1,700 Christians in militia‑run forest camps, according to a TruthNigeria investigation.
Nineteen months of field reporting, community logs, and survivor accounts point to a stark shift: fewer mass killings, but a rapid rise in organized, ransom‑driven abductions. What has emerged is an industrial‑scale network of forest camps, complete with armed guards and local collaborators who work to keep the crisis out of public view.
Kaduna: 800–1,400 Held in Forest Camps
In Southern Kaduna alone, TruthNigeria has documented at least 560 abductions over a 20-month span, indicating that an average of 28 persons has been kidnapped each month during this period. During the same 20-month span, there were at least 75 killings during village raids. According to local leaders across five counties interviewed by TruthNigeria, from 800 to 1,400 individuals remain captive in Southern Kaduna camps, including Rijana Forest, Doka, Jan Dutse, and Enugwu.
On January 18, 2026, more than 170 worshippers were abducted from Kurmin Wali village, in Kajuru County, during church services.
Benue: Kidnapping Surges as Militia Opts into Ransom Economy
Benue State has witnessed a dramatic surge in kidnapping as Fulani militia tactics evolved. While killings declined from over 2,600 Christians murdered (Jan 2023–Feb 2024) to an estimated 276–376 killed (Sept 2025–April 2026) — abductions have skyrocketed, with organized forest camps now holding hundreds.
Verified incidents across just three counties (Otukpo, Ado, Okpokwu) documented 75 kidnappings and 69 killings — representing only one-eighth of Benue’s 23 counties. Fewer than 150 soldiers face an estimated 3,000 Fulani fighters, according to local officials speaking to TruthNigeria on condition of anonymity. Hostage camps now operate in Amla, Efugegwanokwu, Enimado, Ugbokolo-Okpoga, Apa-Agila, Onahen, and Adoka/Apa/Ankpa forests.
A devastating pattern emerged: ransoms paid, victims executed, nonetheless. Terzungwe Shaku’s family paid N5.4 million ($3,511) — kidnappers executed him five days later. Twenty Catholic medical students vanished August 15, 2024. Seventeen Christian students were seized at Taraku Junction in April 2026.
Conservative estimate: 200–300 currently kidnapped and 276–376 murdered statewide. Actual numbers are significantly higher.
Kwara: Kidnapping Surges 10-Fold as 20,000 Flee
Kwara State has experienced a staggering surge in kidnappings, with the International Centre for Investigative Journalism documenting more than 177 abductions in the first ten months of 2025 alone — a sharp escalation from relative stability in early 2024.
The crisis reached catastrophic levels in February 2026 when at least 170 people were slaughtered in Woro and Nuku communities, many with hands bound and throats cut. Three worshippers died at Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku during a November 2025 evening attack, with the pastor dragged into the forest.
At least 20,000 people have fled Kwara State since April 2024, abandoning homes and farmland. In Isanlu Isin, villagers paid N20 million ($13,300) for two kidnapped sons — only to have four more abducted with another N20 million demanded.
Kogi: Kidnapping Surges Along Highways, Churches, and Orphanages
Kogi State has seen a dramatic surge in kidnappings targeting not just rural communities but major highways, worship centers, and even orphanages.
In December 2025, armed Fulani militia stormed First ECWA Church in Aiyetoro, killing one worshipper and abducting more than 20. In November 2025, six senior Federal Defense Ministry directors were kidnapped along the Kabba-Lokoja highway, with terrorists demanding N150 million ransom.
Most alarmingly, 23 children were snatched from a Kogi orphanage — with 8 still missing (Al Jazeera). Highway ambushes, farm kidnappings, and church abductions have deepened what local leaders call a runaway crime crisis.
TruthNigeria reporting confirms systematic targeting of Christian worship centers, with attacks deliberately timed to strike congregations during services.
Global Implications
“This multi-state kidnapping surge carries consequences far beyond Nigeria’s borders. What we are witnessing is not just a domestic security crisis, but a pattern with regional and international implications,” said David Onyilokwu Idah of the International Human Rights Commission, Abuja, to TruthNigeria.
“First, there is the risk of transnational militant financing,” Idah went on to say. “The evolving ransom economy increasingly mirrors Sahelian conflict systems, raising concerns about integration with broader jihadist networks operating across West Africa,” he said.
“Second, the scale of unrecorded displacement is likely to intensify migration pressures, contributing to regional instability that may spill across national boundaries,” Idah added.
“Third, there is a growing concern about religious freedom,” he said. “The persistent targeting of Christian communities has already begun to attract attention at the level of the U.S. Congress and other international actors.
“Finally, this situation points to a troubling gap in state capacity. Many of the affected areas are within driving distance of both Kaduna (city) and Abuja, which raises serious strategic questions about territorial control in Africa’s most populous nation,” Idah added.
Methodology
TruthNigeria’s reporting relies on named witnesses, survivor interviews, community leadership testimony, site visits, and local government documents. Comprehensive independent verification remains limited due to restricted access and military operational restrictions.
Luka Binniyat and Mike James Odeh write for TruthNigeria from Kaduna.
