At Least 840 People Killed, Abducted Across Nigeria In July

Up to 840 people were either killed or abducted across Nigeria in July. This is according to an analysis of press reports catalogued by the Nigeria Security Tracker (NST).

Insecurity-related deaths in the period totalled at least 457. This is comprised of 187 civilians, 34 security personnel, and three political actors. Forty-five Boko Haram insurgents, 15 kidnappers, 11 robbers, and 165 other armed persons (especially including terrorists in the Northwest and North-central regions) were also killed.

The number shows an improvement compared to the death tolls recorded in recent months. In April, May, and June, 917, 594, and 736 people were respectively killed.

The most fatal incident happened on Wednesday, July 27, when terrorists killed over 20 residents of Duma, a village in the Tureta area of Sokoto, Northwest Nigeria. Two days before this, an explosion rocked the Bama area of the northeastern state of Borno, killing 13 metal scrap scavengers. Another infamous incident was the attack of security agents in Abuja by members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), who killed eight personnel.

At least 383 people were reported to have been kidnapped last month. This is higher than the figures recorded for April (343) and May (227) but lower than the number of kidnap victims in June (534).

There were 11 cases of kidnapping, with the victims numbering 10 and above. The worst incidents took place in Niger and Kaduna states, where as many as 50 people were abducted at once.

Nigerian federal lawmakers have increasingly become more outspoken over the security situation as they threaten to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari if the spate of armed violence is not addressed. “Nowhere is safe in Nigeria, even Abuja. Urgent steps need to be taken … we have given the president six weeks to resolve the issue or we impeach him,” said senate member Philip Aduda two weeks ago.

The motion, which was raised by house members mostly from the opposition party, was blocked by the senate president, who is a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

But even APC senators have started to support the impeachment move.

Meanwhile, Buhari insists his government has done its best. “The Presidency, in the meantime, wishes to reassure the public that the President has done all, and even more than what is expected of him as Commander-in-Chief by way of morale, material and equipment support to the military and expects nothing short of good results in the immediate,” presidential media aide Garba Shehu recently said, echoing a similar statement from the president in 2018.