North accounts for 79 per cent of insecurity – Report

Northern Nigeria map

Northern Nigeria continues to bear the brunt of the country’s insecurity challenges, accounting for a majority of recorded incidents between January 2 and April 22, 2025.

According to a data sourced from Beacon Consulting, an indigenous firm tracking situations in the country, the North West, North East and North Central accounted for 79 per cent of the insecurity incidents.

The region has been ravaged by Boko Haram, Islamic State of West African Province, bandits, herders-farmers conflict and lately Lakurawa and Mahmuda terrorist groups.

The data shows that the North West alone was responsible for 37 per cent of all reported insecurity incidents within the period, recording 1,095 occurrences.

It also witnessed the highest number of casualties, with 1,642 individuals killed and 2,512 kidnapped.

The North East followed, accounting for 25 per cent of the total incidents, with 745 occurrences leading to 770 deaths and 461 kidnappings. The North Central region recorded 17 percent of the incidents, with 493 occurrences, resulting in 999 deaths and 433 kidnappings.

In contrast, the southern regions recorded significantly lower incidents. The South West accounted for 10 per cent, with 304 occurrences leading to 261 deaths and 76 kidnappings.

The South South followed with 7 per cent, recording 207 occurrences, 155 deaths, and 47 kidnappings.

The South East which in the past was under the grip of unknown gunmen and members of the Indigenous People of Biafra emerged as the region with the least number of insecurity incidents, accounting for just 4 per cent. Within the period under review, the region witnessed 129 occurrences, resulting in 186 deaths and 32 kidnappings.

In total, Beacon Consulting’s data indicated that 4,013 individuals were killed and 3,561 kidnapped across the country in less than four months. Punch