Crime
Violence Kills 4,654, Kidnaps 3,141 Across Nigeria in 2025 – Security Report Warns of Escalating Threats
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
Crime
Troops neutralise two terrorists, recover arms in Zamfara
Troops neutralise two terrorists, recover arms in Zamfara
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of the Nigerian Army have neutralised two suspected terrorists during a fighting patrol in Zamfara State.
Security sources said the operation was conducted by troops of 1 Brigade Quick Reaction Force (QRF) from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Bagega in the early hours of May 4.

The troops, while on patrol, advanced through Maikwanuga village in Talata Mafara Local Government Area, extending operations to Aljumma, Gidan Dawa, Magami Didi, and Tungar Magaji villages in Maradun Local Government Area.
During the operation, the troops made contact with suspected terrorists at Tungar Magaji village, where a firefight ensued.

“In the course of the engagement, two terrorists were neutralised, while others fled with possible gunshot wounds,” the source said.
Items recovered from the scene include one AK-47 rifle, 30 rounds of 7.62mm special ammunition, and a motorcycle.

The troops are currently exploiting the general area to track down the fleeing suspects and prevent further threats in the region.
Troops neutralise two terrorists, recover arms in Zamfara
Crime
Troops arrest five suspects in raid on criminal hideout in Imo
Troops arrest five suspects in raid on criminal hideout in Imo
By: Zagazola Makama
Troops of 34 Artillery Brigade, operating from Forward Operating Base (FOB) Oguta, in collaboration with a local vigilante group, have raided a suspected cultist hideout in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State.
Security sources said the operation, conducted at about 3:34 p.m. on May 4, led to the arrest of five suspects allegedly linked to criminal activities in the area.
The sources noted that the group was believed to be responsible for a series of crimes within the general area.
One of the suspects has reportedly volunteered to lead troops to a suspected armoury located at Osomoto Valley in the same local government area.
The suspects are currently in custody, while further investigations and follow-up operations are ongoing.
Troops arrest five suspects in raid on criminal hideout in Imo
Crime
Three Killed in Renewed Violence between Fulani and Berom militia in Plateau as Troops Intensify Operations Amid Tit-for-Tat Attacks
Three Killed in Renewed Violence between Fulani and Berom militia in Plateau as Troops Intensify Operations Amid Tit-for-Tat Attacks
By Zagazola Makama
Three civilians have been killed in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State in a renewed outbreak of violence amid ongoing tit-for-tat attacks linked to longstanding communal tensions between groups in parts of the state.
Security sources said the incident occurred in the night of May 3 at about 8:55 p.m. when suspected fulani armed elements ambushed civilians travelling on motorcycles along a rural route near Fan Loo. The victims were reportedly intercepted and shot before the attackers fled into nearby bushes.
Troops of Sector 4 under Operation Safe Haven (OPEP) were immediately alerted and deployed to the scene. However, on arrival, they met the aftermath of the attack, with three persons confirmed dead.
The bodies were evacuated after preliminary assessment, while security forces launched follow-up operations in surrounding communities to track the fleeing attackers.
According to security sources, the incident is believed to be part of a wider pattern of tit-for-tat violence in parts of Barkin Ladi and adjoining Local Government Areas, where communities have repeatedly experienced cycles of attacks and reprisal killings linked to longstanding communal tensions and armed group activities.
The latest attack comes barely days after a series of violent incidents in Plateau State, including kidnappings, killings, and armed confrontations between security forces and armed groups in Mangu, Bokkos, and Barkin Ladi axis. Within the week, a Paster was killed, his wife and daughter in response to an earlier attack on Fulani and rustling of livestock.
In Barkin Ladi, a Fulani community leader, Alhaji Lawal Abubakar, was recently abducted from his residence in Kara village, prompting search operations by troops. In Bokkos, Mr. Danlami Luka was killed in Kaban village in an attack that also heightened tensions in surrounding settlements.
In Mangu Local Government Area, troops have been engaged in multiple operations following earlier unrest, including a deadly confrontation in Sabon Gari community during an attempt to prevent escalation of youth mobilisation linked to a prior killing at a mining site.
That incident, according to security sources, escalated rapidly when troops came under fire while attempting to restore order, The locals, attacked the Nigerian Army troops killing a senior officer in the process. The troops responded in self defense leading to the neutralisation of two attackers and recovery of weapons. The situation later triggered further unrest and retaliatory attacks in parts of the LGA, with the youths blocking the roads and attacking people identified as Hausa or Muslims.
Troops later conducted operation within same communities where they recovered additional weapons and ammunition from locals.
Across the state, troops of Operation Enduring Peace have maintained an intensified operational posture, conducting patrols, cordon-and-search missions, arrests of suspected criminals, and show-of-force operations aimed at stabilising volatile communities.
In Bassa Local Government Area, a suspected vandal was recently arrested while attempting to steal copper cables, while in Jos East and Jos South, troops intervened in disputes involving farmland destruction and grazing conflicts to prevent escalation into wider violence.
Despite these interventions, Plateau State continues to experience violence characterised by attacks, reprisals, and counter-operations, particularly in rural communities where grievances are often quickly transformed into armed confrontations.
The Fan Loo killings, fit into this expanding trend, where attacks on civilians frequently trigger retaliatory tensions, further complicating security responses and increasing the risk of escalation. Youths and religious leaders have also continued to make inflammatory remarks aimed at pitching locals against non indigenes.
Three Killed in Renewed Violence between Fulani and Berom militia in Plateau as Troops Intensify Operations Amid Tit-for-Tat Attacks
-
News2 years agoRoger Federer’s Shock as DNA Results Reveal Myla and Charlene Are Not His Biological Children
-
Opinions4 years agoTHE PLIGHT OF FARIDA
-
News1 year agoFAILED COUP IN BURKINA FASO: HOW TRAORÉ NARROWLY ESCAPED ASSASSINATION PLOT AMID FOREIGN INTERFERENCE CLAIMS
-
News2 years agoEYN: Rev. Billi, Distortion of History, and The Living Tamarind Tree
-
Opinions4 years agoPOLICE CHARGE ROOMS, A MINTING PRESS
-
ACADEMICS2 years agoA History of Biu” (2015) and The Lingering Bura-Pabir Question (1)
-
Columns2 years agoArmy University Biu: There is certain interest, but certainly not from Borno.
-
Opinions2 years agoTinubu,Shettima: The epidemic of economic, insecurity in Nigeria
