Ngozi James
Nigeria recorded an increase in fatality due to activities of bandits an terrorists in 2021. Data from SBM intelligence show that number of deaths rose by 47 percent to 10,366.
The Africa-focused geopolitical research firm noted that civilians formed the bulk of the casualties, but military and other law enforcement agents are feeling the heat as well.
Confidence MacHarry, resident security expert at SBM Intelligence said the increase in the annual figures tells the story of the outcome of several state led efforts at ensuring security.
The high casualty toll of the military and the police paints an uncomfortable, grim picture about the true state of things, which in some way could be interpreted to mean that not only is Nigeria losing human lives to this tsunami, it is increasingly losing its territory to organised non state actors as well,” MacHarry further said.
Analysis of the 10,366 fatalities recorded showed that Q2 had the highest with 1,053 deaths recorded, followed by Q4 (1,771), Q3(1,588) and Q1 (972), while in 2020, the highest deaths recorded were also in Q2 (3,133) followed by Q1 (2,861), Q3 (2,287) and Q4 (2,085).
Last year had several cases of mass abductions, kidnappings and violent crimes in Nigeria, surging to its highest in at least a decade.
The kidnap for ransom business is booming across northern Nigeria, and schoolchildren are its hottest commodity. Data from the ACLED shows that about 1,200 people have been kidnapped in the first half of 2021 from 45 in 2010.
Likewise, nearly 900 students have been taken from schools in mass abductions since December 2020, data from the United Nations shows.
A report by SBM Intelligence shows that N10 billion ($19.96 million as of June 30) was demanded as ransom for kidnapped victims by criminal gangs.