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BBC News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Wetin dey behind increase in violent killings for Nigeria?
More Nigerians don die for di hands of jaguda pipo like terrorists and bandits for di first half of 2025 dan di numba wey kpai for di whole of 2024, according to official figure we di National Human Rights Commission bin release. More dan 2,266 pipo na im jaguda pipo kpai betwin January and June dis year, while di entire number for last year na about 2,194, Tony Ojukwu wey be di Executive Secretary of di NHRC tok. For only June 2025, di number of pipo wey die for violent attacks dey more dan 600, sake of mass killings for Yelewata in Benue State and communities for Plateau State. Dis NHRC report come out just some days afta anoda tori from Plateau State break say bandits kill plenty members of one vigilante group for Kanam Local Government Area. Some tori say di numba wey die reach 70. So wetin dey drive dis killings? Di wahala na a combination of different tins, according to Umar Aliyu, wey be ogbonge sabi pesin for security matter, and who be retired captain for di Nigeria Army. E get di issue of age-long crisis like di farmer/herder clashes, community land tuzzles, and more recently, banditry for di northwest region in particular. But e also get di issue of lack of action by di govment, and den sabotage. Herdsmen invasions, land grabbing and illegal mining For dis situations, herdsmen dey mobilise attacks for communities sake of allegations say dem kill or rustle dia cows or space to graze. E no be new tin for Nigeria but di mata don dey increase, di attacks don dey more dangerous as more pipo dey kpai. Some of di recent horrible killings for di central part of Nigeria don dey linked to di herdsmen palava but authorities don say e fit pass dat mata. BBC Pidgin bin don report accounts of pipo wey bin dey affected for previous attacks we happen for Benue State dis year, including di tori of one woman who say di jaguda pipo bin rape her eight times bifore day break, and anoda pesin wey lose six members of im family. Anoda example of dis na di Yelewata attack for June dis year, wey even get di attention of di head of di catholic Church Pope Leo XIV wey ask for prayers to restore security and peace. Official figures say di number of pipo wey die for di attack na about 200, but locals argue say e pass. For previous interview wit Channels TV, Govnor Hyacinth Alia say im no believe say di attacks na farmers and herdsmen wahala. E say di killers dey specialised and dem dey fight like pipo wey dey trained for guerrilla war. Govnor Alia bin also don tell tori pipo say dem go set up a panel wey go chook eye into di crisis and come up wit a white paper wey di goment go implement. "Dis white paper go help us to know who be di culprits, to know who be di sponsors, to identify di victims, and to see wia justice go dey applied," di govnor tok. Similar tin dey happen also for Plateau State, even though di govnor of di State bin tell BBC for one interview say e no believe say di issue na still herdsmen and farmers fight. One of such attacks happen for April dis year wia more dan 50 pipo kpai. Wetin dey happen na well-planned attack to pursue pipo from dia land and take over di place, Govnor Caleb Mutfwang tok. E say many communities dey for im state now wey di attackers don successfully take over, rename di communities and dey live dia. Again, e get di issue of illegal mining, wey di current minister of solid minerals development, Dele Alake, tell BBC Pidgin say e dey sure say some big men wey dey involve for mining for di kontri dey sponsor insecurity. "Wetin dey happen be say, dis criminal elites go buy gun give to some local criminals, dem go invade one community, shoot gun, maybe kill one or two pipo, and di pipo for dat community go run comot, den di criminals go enta and start to dig," Alake tok for di interview. E say goment go tackle dis by setting up new security outfit wey dia main work go be to tackle illegal mining. Lack of strong action by goment Oga Aliyu Umar say di failure of di Nigeria leadership to give clear objectives to di heads of di kontri armed forces, and make sure say dem dey deliver on dat objectives, follow for why Nigerians no dey see result for di security situation despite say di amount of security expenditure don increase well-well. "If my predecessor no achieve much for office and e stay for so much years, den I no get any prompt (or push) to do any beta wen I take over. But if my predecessor bin no achieve much and dem show am di way out, as I dey take over I go know say my job don dey cut out for me," Umar tok. "E dey sad to tok but I dey tell you say if di Nigeria armed forces na stock for di global stock market today, e no go sell for much. We fit deny am all we want, but dat na di truth." Capt. Umar say a situation wia by security expenses dey increase but di pipo wey dey handle di resources only get stories to tell instead of improved security, and dem go still keep dia office, "na di reason why we no dey see results and we no go eva get results like dat". Sabotage Several times, some top-top oga dem for govment including some state govnors don allege say some members of di Nigeria security outfits get hand for di insecurity for di kontri. Oga Umar say im work as a former intelligence officer show say dis no be just ordinary allegation, but na wetin dey happen true-true but di authorities no dey take am serious. "I bin once ask President Muahammadu Buhari say 'Your Excellency, Mr president wia is di law on sabotage and saboteurs for Nigeria?' As we dey tok now, dat question neva get ansa," e tok. "You don eva hear about such a law for dis kontri? No. Bicos probably di pipo wey suppose make di law dey work wit di saboteurs." "We no dey tok about suspicion now, but open, broad daylight sabotage and saboteurs, and di law dey silent on dem. Why? Food for thought." As long as di bad eggs for di military and even politicians continue to dey have a field day, and dia actions dey go unpunished, sabotage no go eva stop and insecurity go continue dey thrive, Umar tok. Goment tok-tok and wetin pipo feel no be di same Dis figures of violent killings wey di National Human Rights Commission publish, no tally wit wetin di goment of di kontri bin don tok say dem don improve di security situation. For inside one statement wey President Tinubu bin release for May dis year as e mark im mid-term for office, e tok say, "our administration don improve collaboration among security agencies, increase intelligence-driven operations, and welfare of our armed forces and security personnel." Similarly, di minister of state for defence Bello Matawalle, for May dis year say di Nigeria armed forces bin neutralise more dan 8,000 terrorists and bandits, arrest about 11,600 criminals, and recover more dan 10,000 weapons for 2024. But Oga Umar say e no be di job of govment to tok say security don improve well-well. "Na for di citizens, especially di ones wey dey live for rural areas, for dose ungoverned spaces wia you see bandits, terrorists and herdsmen even dey collect tax. Na dem go tell us true-true weda security don improve or not," e tok.
Straits Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Nigeria insurgents, bandits kill more in first half of 2025 than in all of last year
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox 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
