Nigeria: Surge in insecurity grips Nigeria with over 5,000 casualties in six months

The rampant wave of insecurity has continued to plague Nigeria, leaving casualties and crippling businesses across 573 local government areas between May 31 and December 24, 2023.

Grim statistics compiled by an indigenous security firm – Beacon Consulting – unravelled the reality of the crisis, as non-state actors orchestrated over 4000 incidents, resulting in the loss of at least 5,691 lives and the kidnapping of 2,719 individuals during the period under scrutiny. 

Shockingly, only 721 of the kidnapped victims found rescue through military operations.

The toll of violence extended further, with 1,902 citizens sustaining varying degrees of injuries from the relentless attacks carried out by non-state actors. 

A detailed monthly breakdown exposed the escalating severity of the crisis, as the month of May marked the onset with 13 fatalities, four kidnappings, and six injuries.

June witnessed a harrowing surge with 854 lives lost, 239 abductions, and 158 injuries. 

The following months mirrored the distressing trend, with non-state actors causing havoc, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

The military, engaged in numerous operations across the nation, managed to rescue a total of 1,987 kidnapped citizens from June to December 24, 2023. 

Media reports during this period highlight the military’s efforts, with 721 rescues recorded between June and August, followed by 228, 127, 412, and 499 successful rescues in the subsequent months.

As December unfolds, the nation grapples with an ongoing crisis, with at least 545 lives lost, 434 individuals kidnapped, and 248 citizens injured, painting a grim picture of the security challenges facing Nigeria.

Recent reports indicate that on Monday, over 70 people were killed by unknown gunmen in several communities in the Mangu and Bokkos local government areas of Plateau State.