Violence Kills 4,654, Kidnaps 3,141 Across Nigeria in 2025 – Security Report Warns of Escalating Threats

By: Michael Mike

Violent conflicts across Nigeria claimed at least 4,654 lives in 2025, while 3,141 people were kidnapped in 1,274 separate incidents nationwide, according to the Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database 2025 released by Nextier Advisory Ltd. on Wednesday.

The report, a partnership between Nextier, and SPRiNG Programme, titled “Nigeria Security and Conflict Outlook 2026: When Capability Meets Resolve,” highlights a worsening security landscape fueled by banditry, terrorism, communal clashes, and organized crime.

Presenting the findings in Abuja, the Managing Partner of Nextier, Dr. Ndubuisi Nwokolo, said banditry remained the deadliest driver of violence. In 2025, bandit attacks accounted for 599 incidents and 2,724 fatalities, a sharp rise from 256 incidents and 1,585 deaths recorded in 2024.

“The North-West recorded the highest number of attacks, while the North-Central zone experienced more fatalities, showing a disturbing increase in brutality,” Nwokolo said.

The report also noted a dramatic spike in kidnapping, including mass abductions in rural areas, marking one of the highest levels in recent years.

Terrorism and insurgency continued to claim lives, with 43 terror-related incidents reported. Borno State remained the epicentre, accounting for 397 casualties. Farmer-herder conflicts also intensified, rising from 58 incidents and 188 deaths in 2024 to 87 incidents and 322 fatalities in 2025. Climate pressures, ethnic tensions, political factors, and banditry were cited as key contributors.

Nextier highlighted the role of illicit mining as a major funding source for criminal networks, noting that a prominent bandit leader, Kachalla Mati, reportedly earns up to N300 million weekly from illegal gold sales. Porous borders, proliferation of small arms, and instability in the Sahel region were also identified as key enablers of violence.

Looking ahead, the report warned that insecurity could worsen in 2026 due to growing alliances between terrorists and bandits, the expansion of armed groups into new states such as Kwara and Kano, and rising political tensions ahead of the 2027 general elections. It projected that election-related violence, cult clashes, communal disputes, and gunmen attacks would remain concentrated but increasingly lethal.

Economic pressures, youth unemployment, and inflation were also cited as factors aggravating the country’s security challenges. Nextier identified 14 major threat clusters driving instability, including banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, secessionist unrest, communal violence, and illegal mining activities.

To address these threats, the report called for strengthened intelligence coordination, community policing, and closer collaboration with international partners. It urged the Nigerian Armed Forces and intelligence agencies to improve operational security, while the Department of State Services and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission were advised to intensify financial surveillance to dismantle ransom networks.

The report also recommended full implementation of livestock reforms, including the National Livestock Transformation Plan, alongside early warning systems and dialogue to mitigate farmer-herder clashes. It criticized reactive electoral security measures, advocating for preventive strategies and reconciliation mechanisms post-election.

Delivering a keynote address, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Idegwu Okuoma, represented by Commissioner of Police Edwin Ogbehagha, said the report offers “critical insights into Nigeria’s security realities,” urging agencies to bridge the gap between government capacity and citizens’ experiences.

He added that public safety should not be measured only by arrests or deployments, but by whether citizens feel secure, noting that the Nigeria Police Force is expanding community policing and grassroots intelligence initiatives.

Air Commodore Ademola Adejimi, representing the Chief of Air Staff, reaffirmed the Nigerian Air Force’s commitment to stabilizing the country through sustained aerial operations. Zissimo Vergos, Deputy Head of Delegation and Head of Political, Press and Information, stressed the need for a whole-of-society approach, calling on communities, traditional and religious leaders, civil society, and the media to collaborate with security agencies in building trust and preventing violence.

“Transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights are essential to achieving lasting security,” Vergos said.

The report paints a sobering picture of Nigeria’s security environment and highlights the urgent need for coordinated action to address the interconnected threats driving violence and instability across the nation.

Violence Kills 4,654, Kidnaps 3,141 Across Nigeria in 2025 – Security Report Warns of Escalating Threats

Security forces in Niger rescue three kidnapped victims in Mashegu LGA

By: Zagazola Makama

Three victims abducted by armed bandits in Aworo village, Mashegu Local Government Area, Niger State, have been successfully rescued.

Zagazola learnt on Feb. 5 at about 10:00 p.m., unknown armed bandits invaded Aworo village via Leaba Zugurma District and abducted Alhaji Ladan Abubakar, 65, Basira Abubakar, 18, and Jamila Abubakar, 24, all of the same address, taking them into the National Park forest in the Zugurma sector.

On Feb. 8 at about 2:00 a.m., a team of policemen led by the DPO Ibbi, alongside local vigilantes and hunters, traced the kidnappers to their hideout. The bandits engaged the team in a fierce gun duel but were overwhelmed.

All three victims were rescued successfully. Alhaji Ladan Abubakar sustained a gunshot injury to the head and was rushed to the Primary Health Care Centre in Ibbi, where he is responding to treatment.

Police said monitoring and intelligence operations are being sustained to prevent further attacks in the area.

Security forces in Niger rescue three kidnapped victims in Mashegu LGA

NDLEA Arrests Brazil Returnee with Cocaine Hidden on Body, Seizes Nearly 10 Tonnes of Drugs Nationwide

By: Michael Mike

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a Brazil-based Nigerian businessman, Uche Onyekwere, for attempting to smuggle cocaine into the country through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

Onyekwere, 47, was apprehended last Thursday, at the airport’s arrival hall during the inward screening of passengers on a South African Airways flight from Brazil via Johannesburg. NDLEA officials acted on intelligence that led to his selection for further checks.

A body scan conducted on the suspect indicated the presence of concealed substances. A subsequent strip search uncovered a large wrap of a white powdery substance, later confirmed to be cocaine, strapped to his right thigh. Further examination revealed two additional wraps hidden inside the soles of the flat shoes he was wearing.

In total, NDLEA officers recovered three wraps of cocaine weighing 1.6 kilogrammes.

During questioning, the suspect reportedly admitted purchasing the drugs in Brazil with plans to sell them in Nigeria. He claimed the proceeds were intended to expand his business and support the naming ceremony of his newborn child. Onyekwere, who resides in São Paulo, Brazil, said he has lived there since 2008 and has operated a toy business for several years.

Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives at the Tincan Seaport, Lagos, intercepted a container shipment last Wednesday, uncovering 55 jumbo bags of Canadian Loud, a potent cannabis strain, weighing 1,183 kilogrammes.

According to a statement on Sunday by the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi, the drugs, imported from Montreal, Canada, were concealed inside a Hyundai SUV and a Toyota Matrix vehicle and was discovered during a joint inspection involving NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service, and other security agencies.

In Niger State, NDLEA officers intercepted a long-haul truck along the Dei-Dei–Abuja Expressway in the early hours last Tuesday. Three suspects—Andy Chidogu (49), Kenneth Ogene (45), and Sadiq Olanrewaju (27)—were arrested with 176 bags of skunk cannabis weighing 2,735 kilogrammes, alongside one kilogramme of Colorado, a synthetic cannabis variant.

Babafemi said investigations revealed that the truck driver, Kenneth Ogene, had transported flour from Lagos to Ekpoma, Edo State, before agreeing to convey the illicit drugs for a fee of ₦1.7 million.

He said further operations in Edo State led to the arrest of Shaibu Yusuf on the Auchi–Abuja Expressway with 66 bags of skunk weighing 792 kilogrammes concealed in charcoal bags.

In a related development, NDLEA operatives, supported by personnel of the Nigerian Army, raided a cannabis farm at Ebora Camp in Ilushi, Esan South East Local Government Area, destroying over 4,063 kilogrammes of skunk cultivated on 1.6 hectares of land. An additional 328 kilogrammes of processed cannabis and seeds were recovered, while four suspects were arrested.

In Anambra State, NDLEA officers intercepted a cement-laden truck at Upper Iweka, Onitsha, last Wednesday. A search revealed 345.2 kilogrammes of skunk concealed among bags of cement. One of the occupants, Abum Okeke, 42, was arrested.

Babafemi said operations in Ondo State resulted in the arrest of two suspects in Akure North with 473 kilogrammes of skunk, while Kano State recorded the seizure of 12,500 ampoules of pentazocine injection from Abdullahi Usman. Another suspect, Musa Shuaibu, was arrested with 4,390 tramadol pills in Gaya area of the state.

In Lagos, NDLEA operatives arrested Oragwan Ekene at Alaba with 15.5 kilogrammes of skunk en route to Anambra State. Additionally, 3.5 kilogrammes of cannabis were recovered from the luggage of a traveler arriving from Cotonou, Benin Republic, at the Seme border.

The spokesman said beyond enforcement activities, the agency continued its War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization campaign across schools, religious institutions, workplaces, and communities nationwide during the week.

Commending the officers involved in the various operations, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), urged personnel across the country to sustain the balanced approach of drug supply reduction and drug demand reduction in the fight against substance abuse and trafficking.

NDLEA Arrests Brazil Returnee with Cocaine Hidden on Body, Seizes Nearly 10 Tonnes of Drugs Nationwide