Nigeria Records 12,954 Violent Deaths in 2025 – Report

Nigeria recorded 12,954 deaths from violent incidents in 2025, up from 12,162 in 2024, according to the 15th Report on Violence in Nigeria by Nigeria Watch. Between 2006 and 2025, a total of 222,137 people were killed in 46,182 incidents.

Insurgency, rural banditry, kidnapping, farmers-herders clashes, and security force counter‑operations were the leading drivers. Borno State recorded the highest deaths (2,221), followed by Niger (1,438) and Zamfara (1,426). Ekiti was the most peaceful state with 23 deaths.

Key Points:

Rural banditry deaths surged from 1,452 in 2024 to 3,974 in 2025, with Zamfara hardest hit.
Kidnapping fatalities rose sharply from 425 to 747, with a shift from ransom‑driven abductions to organised raids.
Farmers-herders clashes doubled, killing 1,015 people in 2025, with Benue, Plateau, and Kebbi worst affected.

Boko Haram insurgency and military operations claimed 2,454 lives, with Borno accounting for 2,197 of those.
Criminal gangs caused 6,166 deaths, while security forces were involved in incidents that killed 5,438 people.

Violence continues to escalate across multiple fronts. Without urgent reforms in security, conflict resolution, and rural development, Nigeria risks even higher fatalities in 2026.

Sources: Nigeria Watch, 15th Report on Violence in Nigeria