At least 53 security operatives have been killed across Nigeria in the past two weeks, according to data compiled by Daily Trust from media reports, underscoring a sharp escalation of insecurity nationwide.
The victims included soldiers, police officers, personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), immigration and customs officials, vigilantes, members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF), and community watch groups. The figure does not account for unreported cases.
Many of the operatives were killed while responding to attacks on communities, while others were ambushed at security checkpoints and outposts. The violence comes less than a year after a Daily Trust investigation revealed that no fewer than 229 police officers were killed between January 2023 and October 2024 by bandits, terrorists, cultists, and armed robbers.
The most recent fatalities occurred in Benue and Kogi states. Seven police officers and other operatives were killed in separate gunmen attacks last Friday and Sunday, with several others abducted in Benue. The Department of State Services (DSS) last week arraigned nine people in connection with killings in Benue and Plateau states, charging some with unlawful possession of M16 rifles and others with reprisal attacks in Guma Local Government Area.
In Katsina-Ala, Benue State, a joint clearance operation ended in tragedy when gunmen ambushed personnel of Operation Zenda and the Benue State Civil Protection Guard. Witnesses said two operatives were killed instantly, patrol vehicles were set ablaze, and arms were stolen. Local officials confirmed that 11 personnel were initially unaccounted for, with three bodies later recovered. Governor Hyacinth Alia had earlier disclosed that 76 security operatives were killed in Benue within the past year, a toll now surpassing 80 with the latest attack.
The Nigeria Police confirmed the Benue killings, stating that three officers were dead and seven missing. Force spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin said six suspects had been arrested and were providing useful information. He described the attack as “cruel, unwarranted, and an affront on the good people of Benue State,” adding that the Inspector General of Police had ordered the deployment of more tactical assets.
In Kogi State, four police officers and a passerby were killed in two separate ambushes on police checkpoints in Lokoja and Yagba East. Witnesses said the gunmen, riding motorcycles, fired indiscriminately, killing officers and stealing their rifles. Local officials warned that the attacks appeared to be part of a calculated strategy to target security forces.
Across Nigeria, killings of security operatives have spiked in September alone. On September 4, officers were killed in Zamfara, Rivers, and Abia states. Days later, bandits killed eight NSCDC officers in Edo and ambushed immigration personnel in Borno. Subsequent attacks in Katsina, Abuja, Kebbi, Kwara, Enugu, and Borno left dozens of operatives dead.
The violence has coincided with rising kidnappings, including the abduction of Muhammed Egye Osolafia, Senior Special Assistant on Humanitarian Services to Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, who was seized outside his residence in Lafia on Saturday night. Meanwhile, in Niger State, bandits killed eight people, abducted 22, and razed homes and farmlands in Borgu and Mariga local government areas.
Security analysts warn that Nigeria’s overstretched forces are being deliberately targeted by bandits, insurgents, and gunmen seeking to seize weapons and weaken state authority. The attacks have fueled fear in communities, forced market and camp closures, and deepened economic paralysis in many regions.
