The statistics from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data reveal a horrifying truth that no amount of political rhetoric can obscure: Nigeria has become a killing field where the primary responsibility of government – protecting citizens’ lives – has been catastrophically abandoned.
Since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, no fewer than 17,000 Nigerians have been murdered by armed groups, bandits, and terrorists, while over 8,000 others have been abducted.
The geographical spread of this carnage paints a picture of a nation where death has become routine. Benue State leads this grim tally with over 6,000 deaths, followed by Borno with more than 4,000 fatalities. Zamfara and Katsina have each lost over 4,000 citizens to violence.
These figures represent not isolated incidents but systematic slaughter that has reached genocidal proportions in some communities. When the Yelewata Massacre alone claims over 200 lives, including internally displaced persons, women, and children, we are witnessing crimes against humanity unfolding in real-time.
The pattern of attacks reveals the calculated nature of this violence. In Plateau State, gunmen systematically targeted farming communities, killing 58 residents in Riyom Local Government Area and 27 farmers in Bindi-Jebbu. In Zamfara, bandits recently slaughtered over 60 people across five communities, while in Katsina, they attacked worshippers in a mosque, killing over 30 during prayers.
In the considered opinion of this newspaper,these are not random acts of violence but coordinated campaigns of terror designed to drive communities from their ancestral lands and destroy the fabric of Nigerian society.
Sadly,the response of Nigeria’s political class to this carnage has been as shocking as the violence itself.
The African Democratic Congress’s call for a state of emergency in Zamfara and Katsina states, while politically motivated, reflects a reality that the federal government seems unwilling to acknowledge. When bandits can demand and collect N40 million levies from communities, killing 27 people when their demands are not met, the state has effectively ceded sovereignty to criminals.
These are not mere security challenges but fundamental breakdowns of governmental authority that require extraordinary measures.
The international implications of Nigeria’s security collapse cannot be ignored. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data that documented these deaths is monitored globally, contributing to Nigeria’s classification as one of the world’s most dangerous countries.
This reputation devastates tourism, discourages foreign investment, and reinforces negative stereotypes about Africa’s most populous nation.
When international organisations consistently document systematic violence against civilians, Nigeria joins the ranks of failed states where basic governance has collapsed.
The economic cost of this insecurity extends far beyond the immediate loss of life. Farming communities under constant attack cannot plant or harvest crops, exacerbating food insecurity in a nation already struggling with hunger.
The displacement of nearly 2,000 people from six villages in Plateau State alone represents an economic devastation that will take generations to reverse. When farmers are killed during harvest season and worshippers are slaughtered in mosques, the social and economic foundations of entire regions are systematically destroyed.
The failure of Nigeria’s security architecture is not accidental but systemic. Decades of underfunding, poor coordination between security agencies, corruption in arms procurement, and political interference in military operations have created a perfect storm of institutional incompetence.
The military and police forces, while containing brave individual officers, operate within a system designed for failure. Poorly equipped, inadequately trained, and often abandoned by their political leadership, security personnel are expected to confront well-armed criminal organisations with superior mobility and intelligence networks.
The international community’s muted response to Nigeria’s security crisis reflects both diplomatic fatigue and strategic calculations that prioritise stability over justice. While European nations express concern about irregular migration from Nigeria, they show less interest in addressing the violence that drives displacement.
President Tinubu’s administration must acknowledge that current security strategies have failed catastrophically. The deployment of military forces to affected areas, while necessary, has proven insufficient without addressing underlying causes of conflict.
Pointedly, land disputes between farmers and herders, unemployment among youth, climate change impacts on agricultural patterns, and the proliferation of small arms require comprehensive policy responses that go beyond military action.
The solution to Nigeria’s security crisis demands honest acknowledgment of failure, massive resource mobilisation, and political will to challenge entrenched interests that profit from insecurity.
This includes arms dealers who supply weapons to criminal groups, politicians who deploy violence for electoral purposes, and security contractors who benefit from prolonged conflicts.
State governors, particularly those from affected regions, must move beyond political theater to genuine collaboration with federal authorities.
The 17,000 Nigerians who have died since May 2023 cannot be brought back, but their deaths must not be in vain. Their sacrifice demands nothing less than a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s approach to security, governance, and political accountability.
Until Nigerian leaders treat the protection of citizens’ lives as their highest priority, the country will remain a nation under siege, where hope dies with each passing day and each mounting casualty figure.
