TheCable

In November, records showed that a total of 275 persons were killed, while 285 were abducted across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones. 

The figures, sourced from the reports of major news platforms and Nigeria Security Tracker (NST), were collated and analysed by TheCable Index, the data and research arm of TheCable.

Breaking down the figures, out of the 275 killed, 244 of them were armless civilians, 17 soldiers — of which 16 were killed in gruesome attacks by some suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP); nine were police officers, three security guards and two vigilantes. 

Analysis of the collated data by TheCable Index shows that during the month, per zone analysis,  north-central tops the chart again for the fourth month in a row with a total of 109 people killed — with Benue, Niger and Plateau states hard hit. 

The north-west comes next with 58 casualties, 46 recorded in north-east, 18 in south-south and 9 in the south-west. 

For state-by-state analysis of killings during the month in focus, Benue leads with 58 fatalities.  In early November, there was a bloody attack in Okpobula, Ezza community in the Apa Ward of Ado LGA of the state where 30 persons were reportedly killed.  

Other affected states are Kaduna with 32 casualties, Niger, 26; Plateau, 24; Enugu, 22; Zamfara, 21; Rivers, 15; and Anambra, 11.

Also, six persons were killed in Imo, Ebonyi, 5; Kebbi and Ogun states, 4 each; Delta, 3; Abia, Bauchi, Jigawa, Ondo and Oyo had two fatalities each; while Kano, Nassarawa and Osun recorded 4 killings each. 

With 275 killed during the 30 days of November, this means an average of nine persons were killed daily. 

An analysis by TheCable Index shows that major news platforms in Nigeria reported the highest number of killings ever in the month on November 8 when 39 persons were killed in six different attacks in Benue, Kaduna, Plateau and Anambra. 

WHY CONSISTENT ABDUCTIONS IN NORTH-WEST NIGERIA?

For the months of August, September, and October, the collated data in the country repeatedly showed that the north-west zone has been severely ravaged by abductors, and November is no different. 

An analysis by TheCable Index revealed that a total of 285 armless civilians were abducted in various locations across the country.

Per zone-by-zone analysis of the collated data, 197 people were abducted in north-west, 47 in south-south, north-central, 32; south-east, 5; south-west, 3; and north-east, 1.

Per state-by-state analysis, 122 persons were abducted in Zamfara — which is 43% of the total — during the month under review. Kaduna recorded 77, Edo and Niger, 20 each; Cross River, 17; Rivers, 10; Enugu, 4; Kwara, 3; Plateau, 3; Kebbi and Ondo, 2 each; while Bauchi, Benue, Imo, Nassarawa, and Ogun had one each.