•North leads in 2025 deaths so far
•NSA Ribadu: Nigeria will continue to pursue extremists with precision, resolve
By Charles Kumolu
In a span of eight months, Nigeria has witnessed a disturbing rise in violent killings across several states, causing fear in already fragile communities.
From the North-East to the Middle Belt and down to the larger South, the country has become a battlefield of gunmen, insurgents, bandits and armed herdsmen.
Unfortunately, innocent people pay the heaviest price.
The figures of the dead are as scary as the gory scenes of the incidents.
Nigeria’s bloodletting is a tragic indictment of a nation struggling to protect its own people.
Reports from Borno, Benue, Plateau, Sokoto, and Edo, among others, are harrowing reminders of lives lost, communities shattered, and hope fading.
Last week’s bloodletting was such that should leave everyone disturbed about the worth of human life in Nigeria.
Killings across the nation left at least 102 people dead, including security personnel and suspected bandits.
National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has called the attacks “unacceptable” and pledged to bolster deployments and intelligence capabilities.
And the good side of it all is that allegedly wanted terrorist leader, globally, Amir Mahmud Mohammed Usman, aka Abu Baraa, and his deputy, Amir Marmuda, have been arrested and are facing prosecution, according to Ribadu.
The alleged terrorists are reportedly members of ANSARU Terrorist Organisation, otherwise known as Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate and the Mahmudawa terrorist group.
Announcing the arrests, the NSA said: “The targeted operation, which was conducted between May and July 2025, led to the capture of two top ANSARU leaders who have been responsible for masterminding several terrorist attacks against Nigeria over the past years.
“The first is Mahmud Muhammad Usman (aka Abu Bara’a/Abbas/Mukhtar), the self-styled Emir of ANSARU. He is the coordinator of various terrorist sleeper cells across Nigeria.
“He is also the mastermind of several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies used to finance terrorism over the years.
“The second is Mahmud al-Nigeri (aka Mallam Mamuda), Abu Baraa’s proclaimed Chief of Staff and Deputy. He is the leader of the so-called ‘Mahmudawa’ cell hiding out in and around the Kainji National Park, straddling Niger and Kwara States up to Benin Republic.
“Mamuda trained in Libya between 2013 and 2015 under foreign jihadist instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria, specializing in weapons handling and IED fabrication.
“These two men have been on Nigeria’s most-wanted list for years.
“They jointly spearheaded multiple attacks on civilians, security forces, and critical infrastructure.
“Their operations include the 2022 Kuje prison break, the attack on the Niger uranium facility, the 2013 abduction of French engineer Francis Collomp in Katsina, and the May 1, 2019 kidnapping of Alhaji Musa Umar Uba (Magajin Garin Daura).
“They were also behind the abduction of the Emir of Wawa and they maintain active links with terrorist groups across the Maghreb, particularly in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
“The two men, who are wanted internationally, are currently in custody.
“The successful operation was a high-risk, intelligence-led, counter-terrorism operation which led to the capture of the top leadership of Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, commonly known as ANSARU, Nigeria’s Al-Qaeda affiliate.
“The group was first formed in January 2012 with a public declaration in Kano. It emerged as a splinter faction from Boko Haram, positioning itself as a ‘humane alternative.’
“However, its stated aim quickly turned to attacking Nigerian security operatives, civilian communities and government infrastructure. The group publicly displayed the setting sun logo of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), signaling its ideological and operational alignment with global jihadist movements.
“Over the years, Ansaru entrenched itself in both urban sleeper cells and forest enclaves, across several cities in northern Nigeria and in forest-based enclaves particularly around Kainji National Park, straddling Niger and Kwara States as well as Benin Republic”.
On the significance of the operation, he said: “The capture of Abu Baraa and Mallam Mamuda, the group’s leader and deputy commander respectively, marks one of the most significant achievements to date in our ongoing effort to rid Nigeria of the threat of terrorism.
“The successful decapitation of the leadership of this dangerous franchise marks the most decisive blow against ANSARU since its inception. This stride has effectively dismantled its central command while paving the path for the complete annihilation of the group.
“In the course of the operation, our security forces captured and recovered valuable actionable intelligence.
“These include a cache of materials and digital evidence which are all now undergoing forensic analysis.
“The findings from the analysis are expected to support our ongoing efforts to exploit this success, bring them to justice, and completely annihilate the residual ANSARU networks and disrupt their foreign collaborators. This feat undoubtedly exemplifies Nigeria’s advancing counter-terrorism capabilities.
“The precision operation followed months of deep surveillance, human intelligence, and technical tracking, which demonstrates enhanced sophistication and seamless inter-agency synergy.”
Furthermore, the NSA said: “The capture of Abu Baraa and Mahmuda signals the beginning of the end to impunity for terrorist leaders.
“Nigeria will continue to pursue extremists with precision, resolve, and unwavering determination”.
Borno: 60 villagers
The latest horror in Borno State unfolded in Konduga and Bama Local Government Areas where Boko Haram factions have doubled down on their terror campaign.
At least 60 villagers in Darul Jamal, Bama LGA, were reportedly slaughtered in a night raid that left homes charred and survivors fleeing into the bush.
The attackers accused residents of aiding security forces and humanitarian workers before systematically executing dozens.
Many of these victims had only recently returned after long years in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, hoping to rebuild a semblance of normal life.
Instead, they found themselves trapped in a relentless nightmare.
Barely a month before, a female suicide bomber struck a busy restaurant in Konduga, killing between 10 and 24 people, amplifying the fears of residents who say the insurgents are not just surviving but adapting their tactics to hit harder and more unexpectedly.
The military has launched counter operations but struggles to secure forested regions where these insurgents operate with impunity.
Katsina: Attacks
In Katsina State, seven people were killed when armed bandits raided Magajin Wando village between 11 p.m. and midnight of penultimate Friday. According to the Katsina State Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs, the attack was initially repelled by the Community Watch Corps (CWC), a volunteer security group dedicated to protecting local communities.
However, as the corps members were evacuating the injured to hospital, they were ambushed by the same bandits in what appears to be a revenge attack.
Benue: Bloodbath
In Benue State, the cycle of violence remains unbroken.
In May and June, suspected armed herders attacked multiple villages in Guma Local Government Area—Tyolaha, Tse Ubiam, Ahume, and Aondona, among others—killing over 40 people in coordinated night raids.
Entire compounds were razed, with women and children among the victims.
Residents had reportedly sent urgent pleas for help to local authorities and vigilante groups hours before the raids, but help, it was learnt, never arrived.
The destruction is compounded by the exodus of survivors, swelling the numbers of internally displaced people who now crowd churches and community centers in Makurdi and beyond. Governor Hyacinth Alia has condemned the attacks, describing them as systematic ethnic cleansing, and blaming federal agencies for neglect. Yet, as the killings continue, residents’ faith in protection is fading fast.
Plateau: Cleansing
In Plateau State, violence has surged to a horrifying height.
Between June and August, more than 200 people were, according to reports, killed across Mangu, Bokkos, Riyom, and surrounding areas in relentless attacks by armed herders and militia groups.
Entire villages have been allegedly razed; farms reduced to ash; and tens of thousands displaced.
In Mangu, 21 people, it was learnt, perished overnight, including women attending a naming ceremony.
In Bokkos, reports say multiple villages were attacked in quick succession, wiping out entire families and destroying livelihoods.
Local religious leaders like Rev. Isa Gyang see these as not just random clashes but deliberate and targeted assaults meant to terrorize entire communities.
Despite pleas for federal assistance, the state’s resources have been overwhelmed.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang has described the killings as “orchestrated genocide,” warning that, if left unchecked, these waves of violence threaten to permanently destabilize the Middle Belt.
Sokoto: Bandits on the rampage
North West Nigeria remains a tinderbox.
In Sokoto State, gunmen recently stormed Baraya village in Gwadabawa LGA, allegedly killing three and injuring several others, before fleeing with stolen livestock.
Outraged by repeated attacks and what many describe as official inertia, communities have taken matters into their own hands.
Last week, villagers in Tangaza LGA reportedly captured 16 suspected bandits.
Police took custody but before they could act, the suspects were snatched back and summarily executed by the locals.
Similar incidents have been reported in Shagari and Bimasa, where villagers reportedly killed at least 15 bandits, freeing hostages and sending a chilling message. While such acts reflect desperation and frustration, they underscore the sharp erosion of trust between the people and the state’s security apparatus.
Edo: Kidnappers
In Edo State, the menace of insecurity has taken an ominous turn. Penultimate weekend, heavily armed kidnappers reportedly ambushed a convoy of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Okpella, Etsako East LGA, killing eight officers and abducting a Chinese expatriate they were escorting.
The attack occurred outside a BUA Cement facility.
According to eyewitnesses, the kidnappers laid an ambush, opened fire on the NSCDC vehicle, and executed the officers before escaping into the nearby forest with the abductee.
It was a bold strike, one that shows the shifting confidence of kidnapping gangs who now feel emboldened enough to directly confront trained, armed personnel.
The incident drew sharp condemnation, but also highlighted a worrying trend.
Civil society groups decried the silence of the Edo State government in the 24 hours following the incident, calling it a dangerous signal of indifference.
Grim statistics
What appears to be the growing body count across Nigeria has not gone unnoticed by independent researchers.
A recent report by SBM Intelligence, one of the country’s most credible geopolitical think tanks, paints an even grimmer picture of Nigeria’s security collapse through August 2025.
According to the report, over the first eight months of 2025, Nigeria recorded at least 5,450 deaths linked to violent conflicts and criminal activities.
This figure encompasses all victims, civilians, security forces, armed groups, and vigilantes across the country’s troubled regions.
Breaking down the casualties, approximately 2,740 civilians were killed, bearing the brunt of the violence.
Security personnel were also reportedly heavily targeted, with over 420 officers of the police, military, and paramilitary forces losing their lives.
The report further said 1,120 suspected bandits, 690 Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents, 230 vigilantes, 110 cultists, and 120 kidnappers were killed in various clashes during this period.
Geographically, the North-West remains the most volatile region, accounting for nearly 1,800 deaths, followed closely by the North-East with 1,600 fatalities.
The Middle Belt and North-Central zones recorded 950 and 540 deaths respectively, while the South-East, South-South, and South-West collectively accounted for over 560 fatalities.
States like Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, Benue, Edo, Ondo, and Plateau consistently appear among the deadliest, highlighting the widening scope of Nigeria’s insecurity beyond traditional hotspots.
The SBM report emphasized that the violence is no longer regional but national, spreading from insurgency and banditry to kidnappings and communal clashes, affecting almost every corner of the country.
Alarmed by this orgy of violence, presidential candidate of Labour Party, LP, in 2023, Mr. Peter Obi, called for a declaration of “national war” on insecurity.
Reacting to what he called a “bloody weekend, “ Obi said:”When over 100 Nigerians are killed in a single weekend, our casualty figures rival those of countries officially at war.
“He explained that it’s time to “declare a national war on insecurity, to mobilise every resource, every agency, every state, and to suspend all distractions while we begin the process of reclaiming our nation from lawlessness. “
Governance failure
Findings by Sunday Vanguard showed that what ties all these incidents together is the failure of governance at both the federal and state levels. Across the board, security forces are overstretched, under-equipped, and often reactive rather than proactive.
Early warnings go unheeded. Arrests are rare.
Convictions even rarer
As a result, vigilantism thrives, and mob justice escalates, feeding a cycle of violence that has become self-sustaining.
Analysts say the killings have ethnic, religious, and economic undertones.
The herder farmer conflicts in the Middle Belt are no longer just about grazing land—they are now being framed in existential terms: survival, identity, and displacement.
Meanwhile, Boko Haram and ISWAP factions continue to terrorise the North East, exploiting terrain, intelligence gaps, and local grievances to regroup and strike. In the North West, what started as banditry is now a form of guerrilla warfare.
Cost of killings
Beyond the statistics and political blame games, the true cost of the killings is borne by ordinary Nigerians.
Farmers can no longer access their land. Schools are shut.
Markets are deserted. Food prices have surged due to insecurity.
Trauma is etched into the lives of thousands.
In many parts of Benue, Plateau, and Sokoto, entire generations of children are growing up displaced, hungry, and fearful.
Communities are mourning and rebuilding, often without any help from government.
However, government can’t be accused of being totally incapable as it has consistently condemned the killings in strong terms. This is in addition to ongoing operations in volatile areas.
But what could be considered as the disconnect between Abuja and the field remains glaring. Community leaders across affected states continue to lament that federal troops arrive after the damage is done.
Governors like Mutfwang and Alia have repeatedly called for state policing, better equipment for vigilante groups, and improved collaboration between communities and security agencies. So far, progress remains slow.
In the following pages, a former Chief of the Army Staff and a respected retired general assess the nation’s security situation and point the way forward.
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