A new report from the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa reveals that 55,910 Nigerians were killed in 9,970 attacks over the past four years. The report highlights the severe violence and insecurity prevalent in the country during this period.
According to the report, “Nigeria was a highly dangerous and insecure place to live in parts of the country during the four-year reporting period. There were 55,910 fatalities in 9,970 attacks, and 21,621 people were abducted in 2,705 attacks.”
The Observatory documented a total of 11,610 distinct attacks involving killings and/or abductions. Of these, 8,905 attacks resulted in killings without abductions, 1,065 involved both killings and abductions, and 1,640 involved abductions alone. This equates to an average of eight attacks per day over the four-year span.
The report further notes that 30,880 civilians were killed in 6,942 attacks. “Many civilians lived in constant fear and insecurity, with reports of children having to sleep in trees at night. In total, 30,880 civilians were killed in these attacks, while 25,030 victims were members of security forces or terror groups.”
Additionally, 21,532 civilians were abducted in 2,670 attacks, with another 89 victims being members of security forces or terror groups. The report also indicates that frequent clashes between security forces and terror groups, as well as between different terror groups, significantly impacted civilians. In 3,028 attacks, only non-civilians were killed, including 4,377 members of security forces and 19,323 members of terror groups. Similarly, in 35 attacks, only non-civilians were abducted, including 68 security personnel and 2 members of terror groups.
The report attributes most of the violence to terrorist groups and armed herdsmen. “The majority of civilian deaths were caused by Other Terrorist Groups (12,039) and Armed Fulani Herdsmen (11,948), while Boko Haram and ISWAP were responsible for 3,079 civilian deaths. The Armed Fulani Herdsmen are part of the Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM).”
Concerns over escalating insecurity in Nigeria persist. Despite the Nigerian government’s expenditure of N3.2 trillion on security over the past year, reports indicate that insecurity remains a major issue in the country.
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