No less than 17,000 people have lost their lives to insecurity in Nigeria since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, OSUN DEFENDER gathered.
According to data from Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), a total of 18,079 persons were killed and 8,043 were abducted between May 29, 2023, and May 2, 2025.
The insecurity ravaging the country, particularly in the Northern region, is well documented with security experts, civil society organisations, as well as international organisations, who have continuously called for a holistic approach to tackling the menace.
In the last two years, Nigerians have been facing daily attacks from armed groups and bandits, with the government failing to protect the lives and property of citizens.
According to the data, Benue State tops the list of people killed with over 6,000, while over 4,000 people have also been killed in Borno.
Also, those killed in Zamafa and Katsina within that period are over 4,000.
Some of the killings in Benue State included the Yelewata Massacre, where over 200 people, including internally displaced persons, women, and children, were killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Also in June, attackers killed 14 people in the Ankpali community, Apa Local Government Area of the state. In the same month, suspected Fulani militias attacked Naka village, killing 11 people in the process.
In Plateau State, gunmen have wreaked havoc on communities in the state with thousands of people now late due to the deadly attacks
In June, gunmen killed 58 residents in Riyom Local Government Area with another 27 farmers killed in another attack in Bindi-Jebbu, Tahoss community, Riyom Local Government Area.
In April, 52 people were killed with nearly 2,000 others displaced when gunmen attacked six villages in Bokkos district of the North Central state.
The same scenario is playing out in Zamfara State, where residents are living in fear of attack.
On August 23, 2025, bandits killed over 60 people in five communities in Bukkuyum and Anka local government areas, including Kurfa Danya, Kurfa Magaji, Rafin Gero, Tungar Isa, and Barayar Zaki.
Also, in August, bandits attacked Nasarawa Mai Fara in Tsafe and Yar Katsina in Bungudu local government areas, killing 27 people over a N40 million levy.
In Katsina last week, bandits attacked worshippers at Unguwar Mantau community mosque in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina State with over 30 now confirmed dead.
Speaking on the insecurity in the country, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately declare a state of emergency in Zamfara and Katsina States following what it described as the “total collapse of Nigeria’s security architecture.”
The party also berated governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party for holding a political meeting in Zamfara State, describing the move as insensitive in the wake of recent killings.
In a statement on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC condemned the PDP governors for “grinning for the camera in full ceremonial robes” during their gathering in Zamfara on Saturday, barely days after scores of citizens were massacred in the state.
“Instead of rallying around their beleaguered colleague to help stop the orgy of killings, they chose to stage a political rally at the scene of mass murder, even if it meant trampling on the memory of the victims,” the statement read.
The party said the PDP governors’ action, coupled with the Federal Government’s alleged indifference, reflected the political class’s insensitivity to the plight of ordinary Nigerians.
Kazeem Badmus is a graduate of Mass Communication with years of experience. A professional in journalism and media writing, Kazeem prioritses accuracy and factual reportage of issues. He is also a dexterous finder of the truth with conscious delivery of unbiased and development oriented stories.
