Fear as Over 5,450 People Killed in Benue, Plateau, Others, Details Emerge
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs and governance.
Makurdi, Benue state - A recent report by SBM Intelligence, one of Nigeria’s top geopolitical think tanks, has painted a grim picture of the country’s security situation.
According to a publication on Sunday, September 14, 2025, by Vanguard, SBM's report showed that Nigeria recorded at least 5,450 deaths linked to violent conflicts and criminal activities over the first eight months of 2025 (January to August).
Source: Facebook
This figure encompasses all victims: civilians, security forces, armed groups, and vigilantes across the country’s troubled regions.
These violence has caused fear in already fragile communities. From the middle belt to the north-east and down to the larger south, the country has witnessed tragedies orchestrated by gunmen, insurgents, bandits and armed herdsmen, the newspaper said.
Notably, between Sunday, September 7, and Saturday, September 13, worrisome killings were recorded in Borno, Benue, Plateau, Sokoto, and Edo state, among others.
Kidnappers unleash terror in Edo
Abduction for ransom has become one of the prevalent crimes in several Edo cities, with just anyone as targets.
In the prominent south-south state, the menace of insecurity has taken a dark turn, with the situation being compounded by cultism.
Legit.ng recalls that at least eight personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were killed on Friday night, September 5, when gunmen attacked the premises of BUA Cement company in Okpella.
According to sources, the attackers, suspected to be kidnappers, ambushed the security team at the company’s entrance and opened fire with sophisticated weapons. Eight NSCDC operatives and one civilian were killed on the spot.
On the same night, 29 passengers were abducted along Benin-Auchi Road.
Police operatives in Edo later rescued some of the travellers.
The incidents drew sharp condemnations, but also highlighted a worrying trend.
Bandits kill 7 in Katsina
In Katsina state, seven people were killed when armed bandits raided Magajin Wando village on Friday night, September 5. Per the Katsina state ministry of internal security and home affairs, the attack was initially repelled by the Community Watch Corps (CWC), a volunteer security group.
However, as the corps members were evacuating the injured to hospital, they were ambushed by the same bandits in what appears to be a revenge attack.
Disturbing Plateau attacks
In Plateau state, violence has surged to a horrifying height.
Between June and August, more than 200 people were killed, according to reports.
Local religious leaders like Reverend Isa Gyang see the fatal attacks as not just random clashes but deliberate and targeted assaults meant to 'cleanse' communities.
Despite pleas for federal assistance, the state’s resources have been overwhelmed.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang has described the killings as “orchestrated genocide,” warning that, if left unchecked, these waves of violence threaten to permanently destabilise the middle belt.
Read more on Nigeria's security challenge:
- Tinubu's govt reveals when insecurity in Nigeria will end
- Insecurity: 'How bandits fed newborn twins to their dogs', Nigerian lawmaker raises alarm
'Why insecurity persists' - Tinubu
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that President Tinubu blamed "inherited security compromises" as the reason for the insecurity bedevilling Nigeria, particularly the northwest region.
Tinubu spoke at a two-day security and peace summit organised by the Northwest Governors Forum, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme in Katsina state.
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Source: Legit.ng
