A shocking new report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety), a Catholic-inspired NGO, has revealed that jihadist Fulani herdsmen are systematically occupying Christian communities in Nigeria’s South East
Newsroom (03/06/2025 07:58, Gaudium Press) A disturbing new report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and the Rule of Law (Intersociety) reveals that jihadist Fulani herdsmen have expanded their violent campaign into Nigeria’s predominantly Christian South East, occupying at least 950 locations across the states of Abia, Enugu, Anambra, and Ebonyi.
The Catholic-inspired NGO warns that these armed groups are systematically taking over farmlands, forests, and sacred sites to establish bases for kidnappings, killings, and other attacks against local Christian communities.
According to Intersociety’s findings, the Fulani militant presence has grown exponentially since 2015, when only 10 such enclaves existed in the region. By August 2019, the number had surged to 139 locations, reaching 350 by early 2020 before nearly doubling to 700 by April 2021. Today, researchers document at least 950 occupied sites, with expansion also reported in neighboring states including Delta, Edo, and Benue. The report estimates that 40% of the South East’s 1,940 communities now face severe threats from these armed groups.
Emeka Umeagbalasi, Intersociety’s director and a leading Nigerian criminologist, alleges that the herdsmen operate with military complicity. “All strategic locations in Igbo land have been saturated by Fulani herdsmen with the aid of the Nigerian military,” he stated. The report further accuses state governments and traditional leaders of facilitating land grabs by secretly issuing Certificates of Occupancy to jihadist groups, often in exchange for political favors. Once secured, these territories reportedly undergo a quiet Islamization process, including the appointment of Fulani emirs to administer the areas under northern Islamic influence.
The situation has enabled a surge in violence, with an earlier Intersociety report documenting over 20,300 Christian deaths in the South East since 2015. Umeagbalasi condemned the “butcheries” of Christians as security forces prioritize protecting Fulani livestock over human lives. He also criticized Nigeria’s Catholic bishops for their “graveyard silence” amid the crisis. The findings underscore the expanding threat posed by jihadist factions—including Fulani militants and Boko Haram splinter groups—as they push beyond Nigeria’s northern conflict zones into previously stable southern regions.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Crux Now
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