At least 3,188 persons were killed in 2019 in Nigeria, a new report that tracked casualties in conflicts, violent clashes and extrajudicial killings across the country has said.
According to Nigeria Mourns, 3188 people lost their lives between January and December 2019 as a result of violent incidents, which include: Gang wars, clashes, extra-judicial killings, resource crises, kidnappings and, Boko-Haram/ ISWAP attacks.
The report disclosed that out of the above number of deaths, 2,707 were those of civilians, while 481 were state security agents.
The reported added that for every 5.5 deaths recorded, at least one of them was that of a security officer.
The state with the highest number of fatalities, it said was Borno State in the North-east, closely followed by Zamfara State in the North-west.
It also released an analysis of the trends and what they portend for Nigeria’s future.
”Having spent the last year tracking the violence and recording only deaths that can be collaborated by two sources, we recorded 3,188 deaths for 2019,” the group said in a statement issued thursday.
The group noted that the report did not include persons considered to be ‘missing in action’ but ”concretely verified deaths”.
“In tracking the killings we found an alarming trend of attacks on security agents and their weapons being carted away.
“Another interesting fact is the vast areas of ungoverned spaces in Northern Nigeria and the vast ungovernable waters of the South-south which have formed territories for violent actors in these regions. We had difficulties documenting sexual violence,” it said.
