A recent report has highlighted a disturbing level of violence in Nigeria, revealing that 24,816 people have been killed and 15,597 kidnapped over the past five years. The findings were shared by Global Rights Nigeria during the 2024 National Summit on Mass Atrocities, held on Wednesday in Abuja.
The report paints a grim picture of a country in crisis, with countless families shattered by violence and displacement. Abiodun Baiyewu, the Executive Director of Global Rights, shared that over 3.4 million people are currently internally displaced within Nigeria, while around 100,000 have sought refuge in neighboring African countries.
“In 2023 alone, at least 457,000 people were displaced across Nigeria, with insecurity accounting for 291,000 of these displacements—nearly double the 148,000 recorded in 2022,” Baiyewu added.
The economic impact of this insecurity has been severe, as communities struggle to rebuild after attacks, and the government faces increasing challenges in providing security and humanitarian aid.
At the summit, experts and activists called for urgent action to address the root causes of the violence, including poverty, inequality, and weak governance. As the nation grapples with the devastating toll of this violence, there is mounting pressure on the government to find lasting solutions.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
