PT Security Watch: 65 people killed, 17 kidnapped across Nigeria last week

At least 64 people were killed and 17 others abducted in 11 Nigerian states in the past week, a review of the events by PREMIUM TIMES has shown.

An analysis of media reports, including social media posts by reliable conflict experts and analysts, revealed that there were at least 21 incidents of violence across five geopolitical regions of the country. No major incident leading to death or kidnapping was reported in the South-south.

These incidents occurred between the 10th and 16th of May.

The North-east recorded the highest with 10 cases of violence against civilians and security forces while the North-west and the North-central witnessed five incidents each. The South-east recorded two and the South-west, one.

Insurgent groups, including Boko Haram and its rival faction, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), wreaked havoc in the North-east. Lakurawa insurgents, bandits and other armed gangs also reigned terror in other regions where they killed, razed properties and forcibly displaced civilians.

The military also killed scores of terrorists, according to a series of press statements, but the terrorists’ atrocities against civilians continue to threaten the country’s stability, worsening the crisis of food insecurity, as many farmers were targeted. This report only tallies the killings by non-state actors.

The past week’s attacks in detail

On 10 May, eight Tiv farmers were killed either by their Jukun warring counterparts or herders in Jootar community, Ukum Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State. This came a few days after about 30 travellers were murdered on a major highway in the South-east.

A day after, bandits in the terrorised North-west kidnapped nine women from Galadunci community in Anka, Zamfara State, according to an X post by a conflict expert and analyst, Malik Samuel.

That same day, Mr Samuel also reported that the notorious bandit gang of Bello Turji forcibly displaced residents of 50 villages in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

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Mr Turji is notorious for his violent raids against helpless civilians in hard-to-reach communities in the North-west. On several occasions when the communities failed to pay the levies he imposed on them, he attacked them. Some other times, he targets these communities, claiming to be avenging the death of his Fulani kinsmen, believed to be killed by security forces or the outlawed Yansakai vigilante group.

He is on a security watchlist and has been declared wanted by the Nigerian military.

In what experts and state authorities have described as a resurgence of insurgency, ISWAP marauders overran military bases between the 12th and 13th of May, killing at least seven soldiers.

Even though the military said it repelled these attacks, the insurgents left tales of terror in Dikwa and Marte LGAs, including in Rann in Kala/Balge LGA, Borno State.

The insurgents, on 13 May, also planted an IED along the Damboa-Maiduguri highway, killing two local education authorities (LEA) staff.

That same day, the Lakurawa terrorists reportedly invaded the Gwadabawa community in Sokoto, burning some buildings.

Also, on 13 May, armed men abducted a chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ose LGA of Ondo State, demanding a N100 million ransom.

Separate attacks in Riyom and Wase LGAs of Plateau led to the deaths of three locals and the abduction of two others between 12 and 13 May.

Between 12 and 14 May, a communal clash between herders and farmers in Karim Lamido LGA of Taraba State claimed 16 lives, according to a local publication, Makama Zagazola.

On 14 May, bandits armed with Rocket-Propelled Gun (RPG) attacked Wuya, a community in Zamfara State, killing two residents and injuring others, including children.

In Anambra State, a lawyer, his client and a security operative were killed in separate attacks between 15 and 16 May. The lawyer and his client were killed on the same day by gunmen suspected to be assassins, while the security operative died in a gunfight that also killed two gunmen.

On 15 May, armed men, in a midnight attack, stormed the palace of a traditional ruler in Kogi State, kidnapping him.

On the same date, tragedy struck in Borno and Zamfara states. In Malam Karanti village in Kukawa LGA of Borno, insurgents killed 23 farmers and fishermen. In a similar pattern of attack, bandits targeted four farmers in Tudun Moriki, Zurmi LGA of Zamfara State, kidnapping them.

On 16 May, a farmer-herder crisis claimed the life of a 35-year-old farmer in Nangere LGA, Yobe State. Two other people sustained injuries from the incident, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

On the same 16th of May, Boko Haram insurgents fleeing military onslaught in Sambisa Forest attacked Wulgo in Ngala LGA of Borno State, targeting security operatives. There were no reported casualties in the attack.

To tackle the insecurity across the country, President Bola Tinubu on Friday met with the heads of security agencies and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

Speaking to journalists after the Abuja meeting, the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, said the meeting was to review the “entire security situation in the country.”

“The president is concerned about what’s going on, and we have assured him that we’re on top of our game,” he said.

The army general linked the resurgent attacks by terrorists and Jihadi groups in Northern Nigeria to the “global push by terrorists and jihadists all over the Sahel area.”

“And that pressure is what actually came into Nigeria because of the nature of our borders,” he said.