Over 1,420 Nigerians died from events of insecurity in Q1 What can we do about it?

Introduction

Over the last two decades, all six geopolitical regions in Nigeria have experienced some form of insecurity. The incidents, ranging from religious and ethnic disturbances to theft and robbery, violent extremism and terrorism, kidnappings, oil bunkering, and communal clashes, have deeply undermined the nation’s stability, peace, and development. As these events continue to unfold in the country, their consequences increase citizens’ vulnerability to death, humanitarian crises, and environmental degradation.

What’s New?

In January 2025, HumAngle relaunched its monthly insecurity tracking and trend analysis report–HumAngle Tracker. The Tracker relies on open-source data to document events of insecurity, their prevalence, and emerging trends. It serves as a valuable tool for risk mitigation, policy design, project planning, and informed decision-making among development institutions, government agencies, and the general public.

Key findings

• Nigeria witnessed at least 475 incidents of insecurity, resulting in 1,420 fatalities, during the first quarter of 2025, according to the HumAngle Tracker. 
• The North West region experienced the highest number of these incidents, totalling 114 with 400 fatalities, largely due to violent attacks by non-state actors, kidnapping, and road accidents. 
• The most prevalent type of incident was ‘violence against civilians’, with 132 occurrences. This category includes armed attacks, kidnappings, abductions and forced disappearances, sexual violence, and communal clashes. 
• The Tracker documented 22 incidents of sexual and gender-based violence, including femicide, underscoring the vulnerability of women and girls in Nigeria.
• An emerging trend of communal and ethnic conflict was observed in states like Jigawa, which was previously known for its relative peace, due to competition over resources. Similar tensions were recorded in Ebonyi, Cross River, and Akwa-Ibom states, among others.

Why does it matter?

These events of insecurity disrupt access to essential social amenities, such as healthcare and education, displacing thousands and placing additional strain on already overburdened urban centres. These centres face challenges such as overcrowding, inadequate infrastructure, and limited social amenities.

Moreover, widespread trauma from persistent violence is taking a toll on the mental health of affected populations, an issue HumAngle addressed in a February 2025 policy brief, calling for mental health to be treated as a national emergency.

In response to failing state protection, some communities have turned to self-help security mechanisms, such as local militias and vigilante groups. However, these efforts often lack accountability, risk further escalation, and contribute to human rights abuses. Without urgent action, Nigeria risks sliding into a deeper humanitarian crisis.

What can be done?

• Intensify intelligence gathering: Security and intelligence agencies should collaborate more closely with local communities to gather intelligence, aiding proper planning and supporting counterterrorism operations that minimise collateral damage or operational errors.
• Promote social justice and human rights: Widespread impunity and unresolved grievances fuel insecurity. The government must improve access to justice, especially through transitional justice frameworks, and uphold human rights protections.
• Support local peacebuilding, security, and accountability initiatives: Government actors, development partners, and local stakeholders should strengthen grassroots peacebuilding and accountability initiatives by developing their capacities in early warning, early response, mediation, and technology-assisted mechanisms. It is also imperative to encourage network-building among various communities to amplify peace messages and bolster effective security management.
• Strengthen media-civil society collaboration to de-escalate drivers of insecurity: Media and civil society organisations should collaborate on tailored campaigns that raise awareness of conflict drivers, human rights issues, social cohesion, and peacebuilding. Such efforts can counter harmful narratives and prevent violence.
• Support for insecurity data collection: The government, alongside other conflict prevention actors—such as security agencies, humanitarian organisations, and non-profit organisations—should support initiatives like the HumAngle Tracker to enhance the monitoring, collation, analysis, and dissemination of security data to stakeholders. Such support will improve evidence-based policy-making and the design of more effective interventions.

Conclusion

Policymakers, donors, and humanitarian workers must recognise the mental health emergency in conflict-affected communities. By addressing this issue, we can mitigate the long-term impact of conflict and support the communities to heal and rebuild. If left unaddressed, it will have far-reaching consequences of increasing vulnerability to radicalisation, decreased economic productivity, and a continued cycle of violence.

Further reading

1. https://www.undp.org/sites/g/files/zskgke326/files/migration/ng/Assessing-the-Impact-of-Conflict-on-Development-in-NE-Nigeria—The-Report.pdf 
2. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/759a0f7d-93cd-5ad2-acac-a16ae33d8664 
3. https://humanglemedia.com/in-northwest-nigeria-communities-must-pay-over-%E2%82%A6200-million-to-terrorists-for-peace-to-reign/
4. https://nigeria.iom.int/news/new-iom-flagship-report-sheds-light-displacement-and-data-solutions-northeast-nigeria#:~:text=Abuja%2FMaiduguri%20%E2%80%93%20The%20displacement%20crisis,climate%20change%20and%20environmental%20degradation. 
5. https://reliefweb.int/report/nigeria/nigeria-violence-against-civilians-north-east-dg-echo-dg-echo-partners-media-echo-daily-flash-07-november-2023 
6. https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/press-releases/conflict-northeast-nigeria-100-billion-economic-crisis-and-lost-generation-warns#:~:text=The%20study%20reveals%20that%20as,over%20the%20last%20ten%20years.

Acknowledgment: This policy brief was made possible through the dedication of a talented team of professionals, led by Abdussamad Ahmad Yusuf, for the research, analysis, and drafting of this document.