A report by Beacon Consulting has revealed a startling figure of over 78,148 Nigerians killed across the country in the last 10 years.
The CEO of the security risk management and intelligence consulting company, Dr Kabir Adamu, said in the report that most of the dead were victims of terrorism.
A yearly breakdown of the killings revealed that 11,389 Nigerians were mowed down in 2014; 11,119 in 2015; 4,896 in 2016; 4,949 in 2017; 6,162 in 2018; 5,948 in 2019; 8,459 in 2020; 10,887 in 2021; 10,754 in 2022; and 3,585 in 2023.
Of the figure, the report stated that 16,644 Nigerians were killed by terrorism; 8,475 Nigerians by banditry; 1,897 by farmers/herders clashes; and 1,410 by social upheaval.
According to the report, the eight years of former President Muhammadu Buhari (2015-2023) recorded 66, 754 deaths despite budgetary allocation increasing from N900 billion to N2.3 trillion.
The report added that the increased budgetary allocation resulted in an enhanced equipment repository for armed forces and other security agencies as well as the recruitment of personnel, and improved training.
“The above achievements were not successful in reducing the fatalities and abductions caused by the several threat elements within the Nigerian security eco-space. In 2022, over 11,000 Nigerians died as a result of these security dynamics,” it stated.
Adamu advised that the interface between the various determinants and the causative elements for the fatalities should provide the new administration with a basis for putting forward a more effective and efficient approach to addressing insecurity in the country.
“To achieve this, the new administration’s seven-point agenda as listed in its ‘Renewed Hope’ manifesto will have to be expanded to include a review of the national security structure, which is currently convoluted and does not allow coordination, collaboration and cooperation among the various security ministries, departments and agencies,” he said.
Adamu advised the new administration of President Bola Tinubu to ensure the appointment of professionals in the key offices of the national security adviser and the ministries of defence and interior.
Besides, he proffered the harmonisation of the various policing agencies with the ministry of interior for improved coordination.
