Nigeria insurgents, bandits kill more in first half of 2025 than in all of last year
ABUJA - More people were killed by bandits or insurgents in Nigeria in the first half of this year than in all of 2024, according to figures released on Tuesday by Nigeria's human rights agency.
According to the figures, at least 2,266 people were killed in the first half of 2025, compared to 1,083 in the first half of 2024 and 2,194 for the full year last year.
Nigeria's military has been stretched thin, fighting a multi-front war against Boko Haram and other insurgencies in the northeast, banditry and kidnappings in the northwest, herder attacks in the central states and secessionists in the southeast.
The situation has worsened lately, with 606 people killed last month alone, including in attacks by gunmen on the Yelewata and Dauda communities in the central Benue state where around 200 people were killed.
Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission Tony Ojukwu, disclosing the figures during a presentation in the capital Abuja, called for urgent and decisive action from the government.
"These were not mere figures on a report; they were fathers, mothers, children, and breadwinners; families torn apart, livelihoods destroyed, and futures extinguished in moments of senseless brutality," Ojukwu said.
The agency reported 857 people abducted in the first half of 2025, though this was a decline from 1,461 in the same period last year.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore NDP celebrations to be held at 5 heartland sites, including Bishan and Punggol, on Aug 10
Singapore Keep citizens at the centre of public service, Chan Chun Sing tells civil servants
Singapore Man arrested for allegedly throwing bottle at SMRT bus, injuring passenger
Asia As Trump plays tariffs hard ball, vexed Asean countries have little choice but to play on
Asia PM Anwar called out by his own lawmakers as Malaysia's judicial crisis heats up
Singapore SIA flight from Brisbane to Singapore diverted to Perth due to technical issue
Singapore New Draft Master Plan could reignite developers' interest to buy land
Business Great Eastern could resume trading after delisting vote fails to pass; OCBC's exit offer lapses
The report also noted a trend of attacks against law enforcement and local security forces, with more than 17 soldiers killed in Kaduna and Niger States and over 40 members of the Civilian Joint Task Force killed in the northwestern Zamfara state. REUTERS
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
10 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Japan mulls over exporting used destroyers to S-E Asia allies
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Japan's Takanami-class destroyer JS Sazanami sail on an anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia. TOKYO – Japan is considering the export of used Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyers to South-east Asia, government sources said on Aug 13, in an effort to strengthen security ties with countries in the region where key sea lanes are located. Japan has been studying the export of Abukuma-class ships to the Philippines following a June meeting in Singapore where the countries' defence ministers discussed the matter. Tokyo is also looking at Indonesia and Vietnam as possible export destinations, according to the sources. Japan's principles on the overseas transfer of defence equipment and technology restrict the export of lethal weapons under its war-renouncing Constitution. But Japan eased its strict rules on the overseas transfer of defence equipment in 2024 to allow exports of lethal arms only if they are jointly developed or produced with other nations, with an eye on future sales of a next-generation fighter jet being developed with Britain and Italy. If the ship exports proceed, the Japanese government plans to classify the destroyers as 'jointly developed' products by making specification changes, the sources said, a move that could spark controversy. According to the Defence Ministry, six Abukuma-class destroyers were commissioned between 1989 and 1993, and all are set to be retired and replaced by new types operable by smaller crews, as the Self-Defence Forces have been struggling with a chronic personnel shortage. In its Defence Buildup Programme drawn up in 2022, the government said it will 'decommission vessels that have been in service for a considerable amount of years and have limitations in expandability' at an 'early date', and consider their transfer to 'like-minded countries'. Japan agreed with Indonesia at their defence ministers' talks in January to establish a working-level consultation body on maritime security to strengthen cooperation, while also promoting defence exchanges with Vietnam, including the provision of used Japanese material transport vehicles. Japan and the Philippines, both US allies in Asia, have been deepening security cooperation, sharing concerns over China's assertive maritime posture in the East and South China seas. KYODO NEWS
Straits Times
10 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Russian and Belarusian military exercises next month to involve Oreshnik hypersonic missile
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Joint exercises to be held by the Russian and Belarusian armies next month will include drills on the planned use of nuclear weapons and the Russian-made, intermediate-range hypersonic Oreshnik missile, Belarus' defence minister said on Wednesday. The comments by Viktor Khrenin come just two days before U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are set to meet in Alaska to discuss a possible deal to end the full-scale war in Ukraine, which Moscow launched in part from Belarusian territory in February 2022. Khrenin told journalists in Minsk that the Belarusians would work with their Russian counterparts on how to use the Oreshnik, as well as nuclear weapons, during the military exercises, to be held in Belarus from September 12-16. "This is an important element of our strategic deterrence. As the head of state demands, we must be prepared for anything," Khrenin was quoted as saying by Belta, a Belarusian state news agency. "We see the situation on our western and northern borders and cannot calmly watch the militarisation and military activity. We demonstrate our openness and peacefulness, but we must always keep our powder dry." Belarus borders Poland, Lithuania and Latvia - all NATO members - to the west and north, while in the south it borders Ukraine. Putin said this month that the Oreshnik (Hazel Tree) had gone into serial production and had been delivered to the armed forces. Moscow first used the weapon against Ukraine last November, targeting the city of Dnipro. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 2 dead after fire in Jalan Bukit Merah flat, about 60 evacuated Singapore ST Explains: How the SAF's drone push for recruits reflects new battlefield realities Singapore HSA seeks Kpod investigators to arrest abusers, conduct anti-trafficking ops Opinion The 30s are heavy: Understanding suicide among Singapore's young adults Singapore Lawyer who sent misleading letters to 22 doctors fails in bid to quash $18,000 penalty Singapore Jail, caning for recalcitrant drug offender who assaulted 2 cops with stun device Singapore 4 taken to hospital after accident near Sports Hub, including 2 rescued with hydraulic tools Singapore SG60: Many hands behind Singapore's success story The Kremlin said last week it would no longer place any limits on where it deploys intermediate-range missiles that can carry nuclear warheads, after lifting a moratorium on deployment of such weapons in what it cast as a forced response to moves by the West. The scheduled drills, called "Zapad-2025" (West-2025), have raised security concerns in neighbouring Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. President Alexander Lukashenko has dismissed the idea that Minsk would utilise the exercises to attack its neighbours as "complete nonsense." Belarusian defence officials have pointed to upcoming joint NATO drills in Poland, involving at least 34,000 troops, as evidence of growing militarisation along Belarus' borders. "We need to watch them very closely (which is what we will be doing) and respond accordingly," Khrenin said on Wednesday, referring to the NATO drills. "If they show any aggression toward the Republic of Belarus, we have the means to respond." REUTERS
Straits Times
10 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Russia starts restricting some calls on Telegram and WhatsApp, Interfax says
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Russia strives to reduce its dependence on platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram by establishing what it calls digital sovereignty. MOSCOW - The Russian authorities are taking measures to restrict some calls on Telegram and WhatsApp, the messaging app owned by Meta Platforms, Russia's Interfax news agency cited Russia's communications regulator Roskomnadzor as saying on Aug 13. Meta and Telegram did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Russian President Vladimir Putin last month signed a law authorising the development of a state-backed messaging app integrated with government services, as Russia strives to reduce its dependence on platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram. Russia has long sought to establish what it calls digital sovereignty by promoting home-grown services. Its push to replace foreign tech platforms became more urgent as some Western companies pulled out of the Russian market after Moscow launched full-scale war in Ukraine. 'In order to counteract criminals... measures are being taken to partially restrict calls on these foreign messengers,' Interfax quoted Roskomnadzor as saying. 'No other restrictions have been imposed on their functionality.' Roskomnadzor said that the owners of both Telegram and WhatsApp had ignored repeated requests to take measures to stop their platforms being used for activities such as extortion and terrorism.
