Not less than 6,549 Nigerians have been killed in one year, according to the 8th Edition of the National Day of Mourning for Victims of Mass Atrocities released in Abuja on Wednesday.
The Report added that not less than 3,804 Nigerians had been abducted within the slated time frame, ranking Nigeria one of 20 least-secured countries to live in the World.
The Report was signed by 86 organisations, including Global Rights, CISLAC, Accountability Lab Nigeria, ACE-Nigeria, Advocacy Centre for Development, African Centre for Media and Information Literacy (AFRICMIL), African Law Foundation (AFRILAW), Alliances for Africa (AFA), Almajiri Child Rights Initiative (ACRI) and Amnesty International Nigeria, among others
According to the Report, “In 2024, no fewer than 5,353 people were killed and 5,171 abducted in incidents of mass atrocities nationwide. An additional 1,196 people have been killed, and 1367 kidnapped so far in 2025, bringing the numbers to at least 6,549 Nigerians killed, and at least 3,804 abducted across the country since the last commemoration of the National Day of Mourning on May 28, 2024” the Report added.
Giving a regional overview of the worst hit States, the Report said no part of Nigeria had been spared from the onslaught of violence, however varied they were, and the devastation was national.
The Report recorded Borno with 1124 killings, Katsina 694, Zamfara 624, Kaduna 538, Benue 469 And Plateau 354 as the worst hit States in killings and Zamfara, Kaduna, Katsina, Sokoto, Niger and Borno recording the highest number of abductions at 1540, 991, 604, 485, 438 and 397, respectively.
It noted that the numbers do not account for the regular crimes of armed robbery and other forms of crime within that range. “At the fore of these atrocities were terror pillages across Northern and Central Nigeria and in particular, fatal attacks on agrarian communities. Several communities have been displaced and their lands taken over by terrorists and other organized criminal groups”.
In a regional breakdown, the Report noted that “The North West accounted for the highest number of fatalities with at least 1,671 people killed in terror pillages and bandit attacks and with numbers as high as 70 people killed in a single attack as was the case in Yargoje, Kankara LGA, of Katsina State.
“The North Central of the country, particularly the Benue Valley, continued to contend with escalating attacks from herder-militia and some faceless groups, in addition to communal clashes. In one brutal attack on the Wase community in Plateau State, at least 50 people were massacred.
“In the South East, organized terror groups claiming a secessionist agenda continued to inflict violence on helpless citizens. In Orlu and Orsu LGAs of Imo State, at least 40 people were killed in coordinated attacks by the secessionist groups. Violence instigated by politicians and their cult-gang friends ensured that people in the South South could not sleep with their eyes closed. We call to mind the upheaval in Rivers state, which has also been marked by bloodshed”.
It noted that while the South West was the most peaceful region, in spite of having the lowest numbers, it continued to contend with an assortment of issues. Again, herder violence spilled over to the South and claimed the highest single toll in the region with at least 20 people killed in a single attack in Akure North LGA, Ondo State.
The Report added that there had also been instances where the State was complicit in the killings of citizens.
“Since the last National Day of mourning in May 2024, at least 174 civilians were killed by state security agents, including 76 lives lost in four separate “accidental” airstrikes in Kukawa, Maradun, Yauni, and Gidan Bisa communities”.
In commemoration of the 2025 National Day of Mourning and in assessing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second year in office, the Coalition reiterate deep concerns over the nation’s steep descent into chaos, occasioned by the failure to tame insecurity across Nigeria.
“We demand that the President and his administration fulfill their constitutional duty of ensuring the security and welfare of all Nigerians in accordance with Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended)”.
“Today, we make a patriotic cry for justice in the face of overwhelming silence by our leaders. The National Day of Mourning is further aimed at rekindling our sense of solidarity and nationhood by reminding us that we are in this together and that the office of the citizen is the most powerful office that can be occupied in Nigeria.”
The Coalition said Nigeria was ranked 147th out of 163 countries in the 2024 Global Peace Index, indicating it is among the least peaceful nations in the world. That means, in effect, the nation ranks among the 20 least secure countries to live in.
“We also raise the alarm on emerging terror groups such as Lakurawa and Mahmuda, who now operate openly, extorting residents, imposing taxes, and demanding ransoms in exchange for peace. These impunities thrive in the face of gaping socio-economic inequalities, deep social exclusion, and large ungoverned spaces, leaving citizens at the mercy of violent non-state actors”
The coalition in commemoration of the 8th National Day of Mourning (#NDOM2025) rejected the nonchalant silence of the nation’s political class.
“We reject their cold, indifferent, mechanical condolences. Rather, we demand action, security, accountability and justice. We caution the Tinubu administration that its persistent failure to uphold its constitutional responsibilities will be remembered as a betrayal that allowed the country to descend further into chaos and lawlessness
“We specifically demand that the Nigerian Government, fulfill its constitutional duty under Section 14(2)(b) of the constitution to secure the lives and property of all Nigerians and called on the government to address socioeconomic disparities by providing quality education, infrastructure, and equal opportunities for all Nigerians, especially for marginalised populations. It must prioritise the strengthening of all departments of government and ensure their seamless coordination.
