Hobnob News | June 8, 2025
A staggering 3,584 people were killed and 3,012 kidnapped across Nigeria between January 2024 and April 2025, according to the latest data released by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). The commission’s findings paint a harrowing picture of violence, lawlessness, and systemic failure to protect lives.
The NHRC, through its nationwide Human Rights Observatory and in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and GANHRI, documented the incidents across its 38 offices and publishes monthly human rights violation dashboards.
Top States Affected
According to the NHRC dashboard, Kaduna, Benue, Katsina, Plateau, and Borno recorded the highest number of killings in the first half of 2024. The commission flagged a worrying surge in mob actions, jungle justice, extrajudicial killings, and bandit/terrorist attacks during this period.
Mob Justice, Blasphemy Killings, and Security Force Abuse
Incidents included:
Mob killings over blasphemy in Bauchi, infidelity in Ondo, and suspected theft in Lagos and Abuja.
A wife’s lover stabbed to death in Ogun.
Extrajudicial killings involving police in Kebbi and military forces in Ilorin, Abuja (FCT), and Jos.
Terror attacks in Katsina resulted in 87 deaths and 56 abductions.
Mass Violence and Displacement
From July to August 2024, new areas of concern emerged, including freedom of association, protester killings, indiscriminate arrests, and flood-related displacement.
By September 2024, 141 killings and 191 road accident fatalities were recorded. Notable horrors included:
The murder of three people accused of witchcraft in Adamawa.
Torture of a 12-year-old in Akwa Ibom.
Communal violence in Anambra and cult-related killings in Imo.
Over 80 people killed in Southern Kaduna.
A suspected thief burned alive in Abuja.
New Terror Group and Deadly Accidents
In October 2024, the emergence of a new terror group, Lakawura, in Sokoto deepened insecurity. Cult clashes claimed 20 lives in Anambra, while an oil tanker explosion in Jigawa killed 167 people.
In November, mass abductions and killings swept through Benue, Kebbi, and Zamfara, with 69 lives lost in five separate attacks in Benue alone. Extrajudicial killings by security forces were reported across Kwara, Ebonyi, Plateau, and Anambra, as well as cult violence in nine states.
Boat Tragedies and Bombings
A deadly boat accident in Dambo-Ebuchi on the River Niger resulted in 200 female deaths, followed by another accident in Niger State that claimed 22 lives.
In December 2024, further atrocities were documented:
71 kidnapped and 13 killed in Zamfara.
Two policemen gunned down in Anambra.
32 deaths in Plateau due to bandit attacks.
An airstrike on civilians in Sokoto by the Nigerian military.
Over 70 killed in palliative stampedes across Oyo, Anambra, and Abuja.
Other tragic incidents included:
81 transport-related deaths, including 26 in a boat accident on River Benue.
A teenager shot dead over fireworks by police in Delta.
A 35-year-old man tortured to death in Kwara.
A tricycle operator fatally stabbed by a soldier in Jos.
Spike in 2025: Boko Haram Resurgence and Lakawura Attacks
From January to March 2025, a resurgence of Boko Haram in Borno and Yobe, along with sustained violence by Lakawura, led to mass killings and abductions in the North-West and North-Central regions.
March 2025 alone saw 570 killings and 278 abductions—a jaw-dropping 160% and 240% rise, respectively.
A Wake-Up Call
As Nigeria battles rising insecurity and declining human rights conditions, the NHRC urges urgent reforms and stronger institutional responses to curb impunity and protect citizens. With the 2027 elections on the horizon, the need for peace, justice, and security is more urgent than ever.
