By Chidinma Iroegbu
Violent conflicts across Nigeria claimed 4,654 lives in 2025, while 3,141 people were kidnapped in 1,274 incidents nationwide, according to the Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database (NVCD) 2025 released by Nextier Advisory Ltd.
The report was unveiled in Abuja during the launch of the 2026 Nigeria Security and Conflict Outlook themed “When Capability Meets Resolve,” alongside a new predictive security platform to improve early warning and conflict response.
Presenting the findings, Nextier’s Managing Partner and CEO, Dr. Ndubuisi Nwokolo, described banditry as the deadliest driver of violence, accounting for 599 incidents and 2,724 deaths in 2025, a sharp rise from 2024 figures.
The North-West recorded the highest number of banditry attacks, while the North-Central zone saw more fatalities.
Terrorism persisted with 43 incidents, as Borno State remained the epicentre with 397 casualties.
Kidnapping and mass abductions surged, particularly in rural communities, while farmer–herder clashes rose to 87 incidents and 322 deaths, fueled by climate stress, ethnic tensions and resource competition.
The report identified illicit mining, small arms proliferation, porous borders, economic hardship and youth unemployment as major enablers of violence, warning that armed groups are expanding into new states.
Nextier cautioned that insecurity could worsen ahead of the 2027 general elections due to emerging alliances among armed groups and rising political tensions.
The organisation urged intelligence reform, stronger community policing, financial surveillance to dismantle ransom networks, and full implementation of livestock and conflict-prevention reforms.
Security leaders at the event echoed the call for data-driven policing and coordinated action, stressing that strategy and institutional resolve must go hand in hand.
Nextier also unveiled a predictive security platform integrating verified datasets and trend analysis to enhance real-time intelligence sharing, as stakeholders agreed that restoring public trust remains key to achieving lasting peace.