Alarming Rise in Mass Atrocities: 24,816 Killed, 15,597 Kidnapped in Nigeria Over 5 Years – Global Rights

Global Rights Nigeria has revealed that over the past five years, at least 24,816 people have been killed and 15,597 kidnapped in incidents of mass atrocities across Nigeria.

Abiodun Baiyewu, the association’s Executive Director, made this known at the 2024 National Summit on Mass Atrocities, which kicked off in Abuja on Wednesday.

Baiyewu emphasised the need to act and pull Nigeria back from the distressing situation it finds itself in due to the alarming increase of insecurity across the country. She pointed out that for the past seven days, enraged Nigerians have taken to the streets to demand an end to bad governance. 

Baiyewu said these protests are driven by the worsening situation of insecurity, high costs of living, corruption, and the government’s failure to fulfil its constitutional mandate of ensuring the welfare and security of all citizens.

“The gravity of our situation is further underscored by our data, which reveals that in the past five years alone, at least 24,816 people have been killed, and at least 15,597 have been kidnapped in incidents of mass atrocities across Nigeria.

“These numbers are not mere statistics; they represent lives disrupted, dreams shattered, families torn apart, and communities in anguish. The abducted and the dead are not the only casualties of endemic insecurity; there are over 3.4 million internally displaced people within our border and about 100,000 refugees in our neighbouring countries”, she added.

The data also showed that in 2023 alone, at least 457,000 people were displaced across Nigeria, with insecurity accounting for 291,000 of these displacements. Alongside the tragic losses of lives and property, the high levels of insecurity have significantly shaken the country’s economy,  with a large number of manufacturers shutting down.

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