List of 8 Nigerian States Worst-Hit by Security Crisis; They Recorded Highest Deaths in 6 Months
Nigeria is currently facing what has been described by many as an unprecedented security crisis. From the north to the south, everywhere is no longer safe.
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However, some states in the country appear to be the worst-hit considering the frequency of attacks by bandits/criminals and the number of casualties they record almost every day.
Source: Facebook
Citing data from the Council on Foreign Relations' Nigeria Security Tracker, this piece lists eight states that are worst hit by the security crisis in the most populous African country.
The CRF's data capture "violent incidents related to political, economic, and social grievances directed at the state or other affiliated groups (or, conversely, the state employing violence to respond to those incidents.)"
The eight listed states are those that recorded more than 100 deaths between January and June 2021.
1. Borno state (891 deaths)
Borno state, in Nigeria’s northeast, is the epicentre of Boko Haram related violence, which has also spilt into neighbouring Adamawa and Yobe states, among others.
Between January and June 2021, the northeastern state has lost 891 people to attacks by Boko Haram and other criminals.
2. Kaduna state - (471 deaths)
Kaduna state appears to be the worst hit in the northwestern region, recording nearly 500 deaths within six months largely due to the daring attacks by bandits who have turned kidnapping into a lucrative business.
3. Zamfara - (451 deaths)
Zamfara state, another state in the northwest, is trailing Kaduna with 451 deaths within the same period. Like Kaduna, bandits are also mainly responsible for the deaths.
4. Benue - (375 deaths)
Benue is probably the capital of violence in the northcentral region. The deaths are mainly blamed on armed herdsmen. Almost 400 deaths were recorded in the state between January and June 2021.
5. Niger - (258 deaths)
Niger state is another troubled spot in the northcentral region. It trailed Benue with 258 deaths.
6. Ebonyi - (155 deaths)
Considering the number of casualties, Ebonyi appears to be the capital of insecurity in the southeast region. News reports mainly cite "unknown gunmen" and armed herdsmen as those behind the security crisis in the state.
7. Katsina - (113 deaths)
The northwestern state of Katsina, where President Muhammadu Buhari hails from, is also one of the worst-hit with 113 deaths.
8. Imo - (102 deaths)
In terms of reported deaths, the second worst-hit state in the Igbo-dominated southeast region is Imo state. The security crisis in Imo and other southeast state has been blamed on the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its military wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
Source: UGC
Nigeria's 36 states, the FCT and the deaths recorded (January-June 2021)
- Abia - 46
- Adamawa - 25
- Akwa Ibom - 77
- Anambra - 98
- Bauchi - 2
- Bayelsa - 14
- Benue - 375
- Borno - 891
- Cross River - 44
- Delta - 70
- Ebonyi - 155
- Edo - 45
- Ekiti - 16
- Enugu - 33
- FCT - Abuja - 11
- Gombe - 26
- Imo - 102
- Jigawa - 2
- Kaduna - 471
- Kano - 1
- Katsina - 113
- Kebbi - 99
- Kogi - 15
- Kwara - 18
- Lagos - 36
- Nasarawa - 34
- Niger - 258
- Ogun - 37
- Ondo - 31
- Osun - 40
- Oyo - 35
- Plateau - 80
- Rivers - 83
- Sokoto - 80
- Taraba - 76
- Yobe - 57
- Zamfara - 451
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Buhari orders military to crush bandits
Meanwhile, President Buhari on Saturday, July 10, expressed concerns following the bandit killings in Zamfara and Kaduna states.
The president in a statement via Facebook through his special assistant on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, charged the military to respond to the worrying situation in a language that the bandits understand.
The Nigerian leader went on to appeal to security agencies to do everything possible to prevent the repeated attacks.
Source: Legit.ng
