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Since President Bola Tinubu’s inauguration on May 29, 2023, Nigeria has seen a dramatic rise in violence, with 13,346 people killed and 9,207 abducted across the country.
This surge in violence, spanning 667 local government areas, is attributed to terrorism, banditry, farmer-herder conflicts, and other forms of social upheaval.
A recent Nigeria Security Report by Beacon Consulting, a firm specialised in security risk management, provides a detailed breakdown.
From May to December 2023, there were 5,802 deaths and 2,754 kidnappings.
The situation worsened in 2024, with 7,544 killed and 6,453 abducted between January and September.
Experts are expressing concerns over the unending security challenges and are urging President Tinubu to take more decisive action.
“The security crisis is severe,” a security analyst, Nnamdi Chive, told Saturday PUNCH.
“Economic hardship has only exacerbated the problem, compounding an already grave situation.”
At a security and peace summit hosted by the North-West Governors Forum in Katsina State in July, President Tinubu described the ongoing insecurity, especially in the North-West, as “inherited security compromises.”
He suggested that the current banditry and insurgency were partly due to historical injustices faced by conflict-affected communities.
Despite this, the experts argued that a more effective strategy was needed.
Chive emphasised the importance of securing Nigeria’s borders saying, “National security involves protecting your borders effectively.
“The North-East and North-West borders need to be better controlled to prevent foreign elements from destabilising local communities,” he said.
Analysing President Tinubu’s government approach since assumption of office, he said, “The government’s efforts have had some success, such as in Borno State, where displaced persons are beginning to return.
“However, insurgents are adapting by shifting their operations to new areas.”
On his part, security expert, Colonel Yomi Dare, highlighted the role of economic hardship and corruption in exacerbating the security crisis.
“The current situation has been worsened by economic hardship. This has added to an already dire situation,” he said.
