Nigeria, June 30 -- Frans Vierhout, a senior research analyst at the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa (ORFA), has said the international community misunderstands the drivers of violence in Nigeria.

Drawing on a six-year study covering attacks between 2020 and 2025, Mr Vierhout, who spoke in Jos during a peace summit on Monday, said the dominant focus on jihadist groups such as Boko Haram obscures a far deadlier reality on the ground.

"Our data leaves little room for ambiguity," he said. "When we examine who is being killed, where attacks occur, and how violence fluctuates over time, the evidence consistently points in one direction. Boko Haram is not the main source of civilian deaths in Nigeria."

According to ORFA's finding...