… Kaduna, Borno, Benue top list of unsafe states
BY FOLASHADE KEHINDE
A total of 7,222 persons have been killed and 3,823 kidnapped in Nigeria between January 1 and July 29, 2022, a report has revealed.
The report, published by Beacon Consulting, a security risk management and intelligence consulting company, said Borno State, widely believed to be the stronghold of Boko Haram insurgents, recorded the highest deaths of 163 people within the review period.
Benue State followed with 90 fatalities, while Kaduna State was rated third most unsafe state with 82 deaths within the review period.
Niger was said to have recorded 65 deaths and Zamfara, 42.
According to the report, Ondo State recorded the highest fatalities in the South West region. A total of 55 persons were killed in the state during the review period, while Ebonyi State had 28 fatalities as the state with the highest from the South East region.
“In June 2022, the government’s efforts significantly reduced the security incidents and fatalities but not abductions, compared with the figures for May 2022.
“Accordingly, in the sixth month of the year, we recorded 338 incidents that resulted in 651 abductions and 765 fatalities. These affected 185 Local Government Areas in 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,” the report stated.
Drastic interventions only reduced fatalities between May and June 2022, but did not positively have an impact on abductions, it added.
“A breakdown of these incidents shows 28.6% occurred in the North East geopolitical region (219 fatalities), 23.5% occurred in the North Central geopolitical region (180 fatalities), 23.5% in North West (180 fatalities), South West 10.5% (fatalities 80), South East 9.2% (70 fatalities) and South-South 4.7% (36 fatalities). 75.6% of the fatalities for June 2022 affected the northern half of Nigeria.
“A thematic analysis shows these main incident typologies as responsible: raids by non-state actors, where they targeted rural communities mainly – was responsible for 350 fatalities, combat/crossfire – 183 fatalities, and ambush – 79 fatalities,,” the report added.
