Data from Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, a security risk management and intelligence firm in Nigeria, showed that at least 2,583 people lost their lives and 2,164 were abducted from January to March across the country.
The firm revealed that 2,070 (80%) of the reported killings and 94 per cent of the abductions took place in the northern region.
On average, approximately 28 people were killed and 24 were abducted each day during this period.
The breakdown of casualties by region shows that the North-West suffered the highest number of fatalities with 793, followed by the North-East with 681, and the North-Central with 596. These tragedies stemmed from various sources including bandit attacks, conflicts between farmers and herders, and communal clashes.
In the southern regions, the South-West recorded 194 killings, the South-South 161, and the South-East 158.
However, the five states with the highest death tolls were Borno with 517, Benue with 313, Katsina with 252, Zamfara with 212, and Kaduna with 206.
WIKKIDATA: In November, North-East Accounts for over 63% Security-Related Deaths in Nigeria- Report
Regarding abductions, the North-West also experienced the highest number, with 1,297 reported cases, followed by the North-East with 421, and the North-Central with 330. Kaduna State led in the number of abductees with 546, followed by Zamfara with 447, Borno with 340, Katsina with 252, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with 102.
However, hundreds of individuals were killed and others abducted by the non-state actors without being captured in the official records.
The revealed data contradicts assertions by the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, who claimed that casualty figures were decreasing. Similarly, the Minister of Defence, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, recently suggested an improvement in the security situation during a lecture organized by the Nigerian Army Resource Centre in Abuja.
CEO Kabiru Adamu of Beacon consulting firm highlighted several contributing factors to the security challenges in the North, including an ineffective justice system, poor land administration policies, the presence of non-state armed groups, ungoverned spaces, porous borders, and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
Additionally, he emphasized the significant challenges posed by a large youth population lacking education and skillsets, coupled with a governance system that fails to meet developmental needs.
Adamu advocated for collaborative efforts among security sector organizations, federal and state governments, and neighbouring countries as the most effective approach to improving the nation’s security situation.
WikkiTimes reports that from 2021 to 2024, the Nigerian Ministry of Defence got a budgetary allocation of N5.11 trillion to curtail the lingering insecurity across the nation.
In the 2021 budget, While N772.3 billion was allocated to personnel costs, overhead and capital costs garnered N66.2 billion and N127.8 billion respectively.
In 2022, N912.5 billion was budgeted for personnel costs, N83.5 billion for overhead and N204.6 was for capital costs, accumulatively totalling N1.2 billion.
Similarly, N1.25 trillion was allocated to the ministry in the 2023 budget, where N1 billion was given to the personnel, N97.1 billion and N285.04 were earmarked for the overhead cost and capital cost respectively, hence, totalling N1.38 trillion for the ministry.
WikkiTimes reports that in December, police officers deployed to the Northeast under the Joined Task Force (JTF) lamented over the non-payment of their allowances in the last six months.
The lingering insecurity especially in the northern states, questions the huge amount of funds expended amid the killings, kidnappings coupled with sectarian crises.
