To become a general in the Nigerian Army, one must meet certain requirements which include: being a commissioned officer in the Nigerian Army, having a minimum of 20 years of military service, a minimum of 35 years of age and a maximum of 50 years of age, etc.
President Muhammadu Buhari, 80 years old retired general, said that his administration has made progress in the areas of security, economy, and anti-corruption, surpassing his predecessors. Buhari made these remarks during the Passing Out Parade of the Nigeria Police Academy cadets in Kano on June 17, 2022. He further said that his administration’s new approaches have resulted in positive outcomes and Nigeria’s ranking has improved on the world Counter-Terrorism global index. However, it is important to examine the validity of these claims made by the President, especially on insecurity.
According to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), Nigeria experienced over 80,000 deaths related to insecurity between 1999 and 2022.
During former President Obasanjo’s tenure, approximately 11,141 deaths were attributed to insecurity incidents, while the combined tenures of the late President Yar’Adua and former President Jonathan saw 32,694 deaths. Since assuming office in 2015, President Buhari’s administration has recorded 41,903 deaths related to insecurity.
Regarding security-related attacks, Nigeria has witnessed 17,591 incidents from 1999 to June 2022. Among these, President Buhari’s administration had the highest number of attacks with 12,665, while Obasanjo’s administration had the lowest at 1,183. The administrations of Yar’Adua and Jonathan recorded 3,743 attacks.
The data also reveals that from 2015 to 2022, the wave of deaths and kidnappings has spread from one region of the country to other parts.
Backing this up, Between May 29, 2015, and October 15, 2022, a total of 53,418 Nigerian lives were lost to non-state actors. These deaths were primarily attributed to conflicts between farmers and herders, clashes among religious groups, and attacks by terrorists and bandits. The data was obtained from the Nigerian Security Tracker, a project by the Council on Foreign Relations in the United States.
Insecurity escalated during President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime, leading some state governors to advise citizens to bear arms for self-defense, despite restrictions on firearm licenses. Governors Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State, and Aminu Massari of Katsina State made several calls in this regard. The issue of insecurity even led frustrated federal lawmakers to threaten the impeachment of the President.
A breakdown of the killings by geopolitical zones reveals the following figures: South-West (2,170 deaths), South-South (3,688 deaths), South-East (2,271 deaths), North-Central (including the Federal Capital Territory, 8,593 deaths), and North-East (23,106 deaths). Notably, the North-West region saw a total of 13,590 deaths, with Zamfara State leading at 5,614 deaths.
Alongside the bloodshed under President Buhari’s leadership, the country witnessed numerous mass abductions, prompting concerns raised by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) about the influence of insurgents.
Some notable abductions in 2021 include those of students from Government Science College in Kagara, Niger State; Government Day Secondary School in Kaya, Zamfara State; Government Secondary School in Jangebe, Zamfara State; and Federal Government College in Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State. The fate of some abducted students, including several females who have given birth, remains uncertain.
In September 2021, SBM Intelligence released data indicating that over 1,400 students were abducted from schools, with 16 fatalities resulting from the recent surge in school abductions. The information was not copied from any source.
Two years later, insecurity persists in Nigeria. According to SBM Intelligence, media reports on killings in Nigeria during Q1 (January – March) 2023 revealed a range of violent incidents, including attacks by Boko Haram and militia herdsmen, abductions, gang clashes, and terrorist activities. The reported deaths amounted to at least 2,047, with approximately 100 security personnel among the victims, including officers from DSS, NSCDC, police, and soldiers.
A closer look at the breakdown of casualties indicates that civilian deaths were the highest.
In terms of geopolitical zones, the North Central, North West, and North East regions experienced significant challenges in terms of security during the first three months of 2023. Borno State recorded the highest number of deaths (785), followed by Niger (206), Benue (172), Katsina (147), and Kaduna (107).
Specifically, the North Central region reported 469 deaths, the North East had 824, the North West recorded 376, the South West reported 86, the South East had 170, and the South-South recorded 122 deaths. Jigawa State had the lowest number of reported deaths with only 2 cases, while Borno was the most severely affected state with 785 reported deaths.
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