No fewer than 5,319 casualties and 3,110 kidnap victims were recorded between January 2023 and March 2024, NewsSpecng learnt.
This was contained in Nextier’s first quarter 2024 Nigeria Violent Conflicts Report released on Wednesday.
The report said 1,500 Incidents of violent conflict were also recorded over the same period.
The organisation’s Senior Policy Research Analyst, Kenn Maduagwu lamented that despite decline in Boko Haram’s insurgency, the continued threat from ISWAP, evolving tactics, and underlying vulnerabilities has shown that terrorism remains a significant concern in Nigeria for 2024.
He said: “While fatalities have decreased in 2023, the overall toll remains significant. The conflict has resulted in widespread displacement of people. Which can exacerbate existing vulnerabilities and push families deeper into poverty.”
The report also showed gunmen attacks, banditry, farmer-herder conflict and kidnapping remain high risk conflicts across the country while civil unrest, maritime piracy, armed robbery, secessionism and communal clashes are low risk conflicts witnessed in the country.
“criminal gangs and terrorist groups will continue to use ransom kidnap as a means to finance their operations. The current ongoing agitation and government response might persist without significant changes, potentially leading to prolonged tension and instability,” the report stated.
Ndubuisi Nwokolo, a Partner at Nextier lamented the multifaceted impact of the conflicts, ranging from economic devastation to threats on education and humanitarian crises.
He said: “Nigeria’s ongoing violent conflicts have inflicted severe wounds on the nation’s economy, impacting livelihoods, food production, infrastructure, and overall development.”
“Prolonged insecurity erodes trust in government institutions. When the state fails to protect citizens, it risks losing legitimacy. As a consequence, ethnic militias and other non-state armed groups have emerged, operating in various regions,” he said.
