“When a nation begins to count deaths and abductions in tens of thousands while political leaders continue with ceremonies, defections, and power games, something is fundamentally broken. Security is the first responsibility of government. Without safety, every other promise of governance becomes meaningless”
A coalition of civil rights and advocacy organizations has revealed that no fewer than 19,980 Nigerians were killed while 12,362 others were abducted across the country between May 2023 and May 2026, exposing the frightening scale of insecurity ravaging the nation.
According to the groups, the statistics reflect only major insecurity-related incidents and do not include deaths arising from everyday criminal activities such as armed robbery, cult violence, or isolated street crimes.
The coalition said the bloodshed has been fueled largely by jihadist insurgency, rural banditry, mass kidnappings, and violent attacks on vulnerable communities, especially across northern Nigeria.
States such as Borno, Zamfara, and Katsina were identified among the hardest-hit regions, where terrorists and armed groups continue to operate with devastating consequences on rural populations.
The organizations further lamented that schoolchildren, farmers, travelers, and rural dwellers remain the primary victims of the worsening security collapse, with many communities now living under constant fear of abduction and violent raids.
In a separate assessment covering multiple administrations over the last five years, another coalition reportedly documented approximately 34,000 insecurity-related deaths nationwide — a figure that underscores how deeply entrenched the crisis has become in Nigeria.
The groups accused successive governments of failing to decisively confront the security emergency and warned that the continued normalization of mass killings and kidnappings risks pushing the country further toward instability.
They therefore called on the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately declare a national state of emergency on kidnapping and undertake a total restructuring of Nigeria’s security architecture.
Critics argue that despite repeated promises to improve security, many Nigerians now feel more vulnerable than ever, especially in rural communities where armed groups often operate unchecked for hours before security forces arrive.
The latest figures are likely to intensify public debate over the effectiveness of the country’s security strategy and deepen concerns about the human cost of Nigeria’s persistent insecurity crisis.
When a nation begins to count deaths and abductions in tens of thousands while political leaders continue with ceremonies, defections, and power games, something is fundamentally broken. Security is the first responsibility of government. Without safety, every other promise of governance becomes meaningless rhetoric.
