Nigeria recorded 20,472 casualties from 5,291 clashes in four years

Nigeria experienced 20,472 fatalities and injuries resulting from 5,291 violence between 2020 and 2024.  Presenting its yearly violent conflict report 2025, Nextier, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), said its Violent Conflicts Database revealed that the nation recorded 43 incidents of terrorism and 1,306 bandit attacks in 2024. 

Its Managing Partner, Dr Ndubuisi Nwokolo, who made the disclosure at a press conference in Abuja, yesterday, explained that the organisation conducted an in-depth examination of patterns in violent conflict by leveraging data comprehensively. 

Titled ‘Mutations of terror and conflict’, the report identified five external factors that would shape the country’s security this year, namely the war in Sudan; expansion of terrorist groups across Sahel states; Nigeria’s closer relations with France amid rejection by Sahel countries; electoral outcomes in neighbouring countries, and Russia’s increasing influence in Africa. 

The organisation warned that the persistence of illegal mining activities in the North West geopolitical zone has been fueling the arming of bandits, rendering the region increasingly lawless and vulnerable to further exploitation. 

The report disclosed that 11,002 persons were kidnapped between June 2020 and December 2024, with the North West being the most impacted region.  It stated that while farmer-herder conflict was more pronounced in the North Central and North West zones, 2,347 casualties were recorded in 359 violent incidents during the period. 

It said: “In the year 2024 alone, Nigeria recorded a total of 467 casualties in 61 violent incidents involving farmers and herders. The North Central topped the chart with 416 or 89.1 per cent of the total casualties, and 42 or 68.9 per cent of the violent incidents involving farmers and herders. 

“Other violent incidents identified in the report are cultism, communal clashes, gunmen attacks, extra-judicial killings and violent protests. Between June 2020 and December 2024, a total of 2,988 incidents of cult clashes resulting in 695 casualties were recorded across Nigeria.’’

Incidents of cult clashes and related casualties rose continuously from 2020, and peaked in 2022, reaching 224 casualties in 92 cult clashes. However, both incidents and casualties declined steadily from 2023 to 2024.”