Nigeria is grappling with an escalating security crisis as bandits, insurgents, and armed criminal groups continue to wreak havoc across the country. According to data from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and independent research, over 2,200 people have been killed and thousands more abducted in the first half of 2025 alone.
The crisis has particularly affected the Northwest and North Central regions, where states such as Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, and Benue have reported some of the highest casualties. In North Central states alone, 578 people were killed between November 2024 and April 2025.
Kidnapping has emerged as a major tactic, with 4,722 abductions recorded between July 2024 and June 2025, according to SBM Intelligence. Of these, 762 victims were killed, and ransom payments totaling ₦2.57 billion were reported, though kidnappers initially demanded over ₦48 billion. Analysts warn that kidnapping has evolved into a structured, profit-driven criminal enterprise, fueling further violence.
Human rights groups and civil society organizations are sounding the alarm over the humanitarian impact.
Families are being torn apart, local economies disrupted, and entire communities live in fear.
The NHRC has called for “urgent and decisive action” to curb the growing menace.
Security experts say that the Nigerian government faces immense challenges, as military and police forces are stretched thin across multiple conflict fronts, including insurgency in the Northeast and herder-bandit clashes in the Middle Belt.
Experts recommend a combination of enhanced intelligence operations, economic interventions, community engagement, and stricter monitoring of ransom flows to curb the crisis.
As the year progresses, citizens and authorities alike are watching closely, hoping for decisive action to restore safety and security in the affected regions.
By: Godwin Offor
