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Insecurity: 1, 603 Nigerians Killed In Three Months, Global Rights Alerts
An international rights organization, Global Rights Nigeria, yesterday, reported that 1, 603 Nigerians were killed in the first quarter of 2021.
The report tagged, ‘Violent Incidents Report: January-March 2021’, which was made available to newsmen, attributed the killings to ‘mass atrocities across the country between January and March, 2021.
According to the report, there has been harvest of abductions, insecurity of security officers, ethnic/communal tensions, unending terrors, and others, which have worsened the insecurity situation across the country.
The report also pointed that banditry alone claimed 906 lives, which made it the highest cause of killings in the country and followed by Boko Haram attacks claiming 207 lives in Nigeria while kidnapping recorded 1, 774 abductees within the period under review.
The report reads in part, “In the first quarter of 2021, Nigeria continued to experience inordinately high incidents of armed violence across the country, with very high body counts. Our tracking shows that at least 1603 persons lost their lives to mass atrocities across the country from January to March, 2021.
“In January, unbridled violence continued to be documented across all regions of Nigeria, with, at least, 373 deaths linked to these incidents. Abductions nationwide, and pillage attacks in the North featured most prominently.
“In spite of the recent #EndSARS protests against extrajudicial brutality and killings, deaths related to this form of atrocity continued. For example, five members of the Road Transport Workers Union were extra-judicially killed, and several others brutalized by state security personnel in Kwara State.
“In a public statement, the commissioner of police ordered a full-scale investigation into the crisis, however, till date, there have been no records of arrests or even identification of the perpetrators of this mayhem.
“The pseudo-public security outfit – Amotekun has also been implicated in committing gross human rights violations and extrajudicial killings. On January 15, the Oyo State Police Command confirmed the killing of a 21-year-old man, Tosin Thomas, by an Amotekun officer.”
The report also pointed that, “Across the country, other forms of attacks recorded were consistent with previous months: pillage of communities in the North, targeted and random abductions, and communal clashes.
“In particular, the North Central states, especially Kaduna and Niger states, pillage of rural districts, kidnappings, and killings by bandits remained a recurring decimal.
“Every region of the country contended with targeted and random abductions in this quarter. Whilst highway abductions by crime syndicates were peculiar to the North, and some parts of the South (South/West and South/South), we observed two cases of mass-targeted kidnappings of traders. In January, 27 traders were abducted in Etsako West, Edo. Similarly, 27 Kano traders were kidnapped on the Kaduna highway by gunmen who demanded N27million ransom, N1million for each trader.”
Global Rights also in the report expressed worry over the numbers of lives lost in the first quarter of the year said it “paints a dreary picture of the declining state of security and increase in human rights infractions across Nigeria. The country is clearly a fragile state, and remains vulnerable to combustion from several forms of atrocities. The question to ask is what are its government and citizens doing to stem the tide?”
The report referred to the country as ‘Land of Impunity’, “The Nigerian state’s penchant of covering multitudes of crimes with the blanket of impunity and amnesty does not augur well for the nation. Rather it has emboldened perpetrators to increase their activities and serves as a motivation for other actors to cash in on the monopoly of violence. Lack of trust in the government to ensure justice is also a motivation for reprisal attacks by aggrieved persons and communities.
“It is instructive that in spite of the hundreds of armed pillages that have occurred in the Northern region, and security agents have barely been able to make arrests, and there have been no prosecutions for these crimes. The same lens would apply to kidnaps, and communal conflicts.”
Meanwhile, Global Rights in the report made its stance known on what it called ‘Buying Peace’, which it condemned the payment of ransom to free abductees by government to bandits and other criminal elements.
“In spite of its continued denial, several sources have documented attempts by some state governors to placate organized criminal groups – paying fat ransoms to kidnappers, and offering cash-back to bandits in exchange for their weapons and assurance of security.
“However, it is pertinent to state that huge ransoms paid to kidnappers by the government sets a dangerous precedence that will encourage criminality rather than quell it. Organized criminal groups who maim people, rape women, destroy properties and cause severe humanitarian crises should be made to face the wrath of the law rather than be mollycoddled.
“The latest mass kidnapping from schools in recent weeks, calls to question the implementation of the ‘Safe School Initiative’ which was launched with millions of Naira invested, after the Chibok girls were abducted to bolster security in schools in Nigeria’s north-eastern region of the country.
“Nigeria’s perpetual battle against insecurity is at a high cost, with both security operatives and civilians paying with their lives. That cost continues to be too high. According to S 14(2)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution, the primary objective of the government is to ensure the security and welfare of citizens.
“Despite the government’s claim of being on top of the security situation in the country, the spread and contexts of insecurity have metastasized and shown no signs of abating, black holing the enormous budgetary allocation to security.
“We advise that it will occasion more than security hardware to end insecurity across the country. At the core of the various forms of mass atrocities in Nigeria is impunity, and at the core of impunity is the failure of state institutions to ensure the safety and security of all Nigerians, as well as justice for crimes perpetrated.
“Nigeria needs an effective long-term investment in a holistic security architecture that should comprise the efficiency of all aspects of governance and the promotion of human rights.
“The state’s continued failure to proactively fulfill and respect human rights has led to mass grievances that are compounding the nation’s insecurity and jeorpadizing its peace and security.”
Raising concern on spate of attacks on security officers and facilities across the country the report called it ‘The Insecurity of Security Officers’, and reads, “The onslaught on public security agents continued with a notable increase in the targeted number of killings of police officers in the southern parts of the country – especially the South-East. Of the 685 deaths recorded in February, 68 were security officers.
“We noted the trend of targeted, unprovoked killings of police officers, the carting away of their weapons, and the burning assets such as police vehicles and stations. The perpetrators of these atrocities and their overarching motive remain unclear.
“Terrorist groups in the North-East also did not relent in their attacks on security formations. Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacked Nigerian police and army units in Magumeri, killed two police officers, and burnt their vehicle along the Maiduguri-Magumeri-Gubio Road.
“The next day the same group attacked a UN agency convoy of between Karito and Monguno, of Borno State, North-East Nigeria, kidnapping one person-making it the third employee of the United Nations in Nigeria abducted within the past two months by Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) insurgents.
“At least, 10 officers of the Nigerian Army were also killed in an attack launched by Boko Haram terrorists in the Marte Local Government Area of Borno State. Twenty civilians were also killed by Boko haram insurgents in Dikwa, Borno State and in Maiduguri, Borno State, at least, 16 persons were killed by a Boko Haram rocket attack.
“In Yobe State, four police officers who were protecting the Bayameri area were killed alongside seven villagers during an attack by Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) members.”
President Bola Tinubu has ordered a Federal Executive Council committee to move swiftly on measures to further reduce food prices across the country.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, disclosed this in Abuja, on Wednesday.
According to him, the directive focuses on ensuring safe passage of farm produce across transport routes to cut logistics costs.
“The President has given a matching order with a Federal Executive Council committee already handling it on how we are going to promote safe passage of agricultural foods and commodities across our various routes in the country,” Abdullahi said at a capacity-building workshop for Senate correspondents.
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Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has faced worsening food insecurity since the removal of fuel subsidy, high transport costs, and insecurity on major highways disrupted the movement of goods.
Despite government interventions, food remains largely unaffordable for millions.
The minister said the plan is tied to Tinubu’s broader vision of food sovereignty—beyond availability to ensure affordability, accessibility, and nutrition on a sustainable basis.
To back this up, he revealed that government is set to roll out a Farmer Soil Health Scheme to boost productivity and a revamped cooperative reform initiative to mobilise resources and empower rural farmers.
“Mr. President has shown tremendous interest in the cooperative sector as a veritable tool for resource mobilisation, for economic activity generation, and to improve the livelihood of members,” Abdullahi added.
The event, with the theme, “Parliamentary Reporting: Issues, Challenges and Responsibilities,” also featured Senate Media Committee Chairman, Senator Yemi Adaramodu; ex-presidential aide, Senator Ita Solomon Enang; and NILDS DG, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman.
The Federal Government has warned contractors, including foreign firms, that any breach of regulations in road projects awarded to them may lead to arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, issued the warning during an inspection of the ongoing dualisation of the East-West Road (Section IIIA) from Eleme Junction to Onne Port Junction in Rivers State.
The section is being executed by Reynolds Construction Company (Nigeria) Limited.
Responding to questions from journalists, Umahi commended the quality of work on the project but expressed displeasure over the slow pace, stressing that the December completion deadline remains sacrosanct.
On the project, he said:“The quality of the work is excellent, but the pace of work is totally unacceptable. Let me make it very clear to the contractor that this project will neither be reviewed nor varied in price or claims.
“I’m sure we have issued over 10 warning letters to them. If they fail to comply with the completion deadline of December 15, we will not extend it.”
He added that the ministry had already put measures in place to enforce compliance
“The comptroller has negative certificates to issue, and I will recover the money from any of their other projects. All those letters are on record, and when the time comes, they will be invoked. Any contractor who refuses to abide by regulations will have the EFCC and ICPC to contend with,” he said.
Umahi further disclosed that the Federal Government had directed that road projects valued below N20bn would no longer be awarded to expatriate companies, in line with its “Nigeria First” policy aimed at strengthening indigenous capacity in the construction sector.
“This is part of the Nigeria First policy of the Federal Government. Henceforth, no expatriate firm will be awarded any project valued below N20bn. Such projects must go to indigenous companies, while expatriates focus on higher-value projects requiring more technical capacity,” he said.
The minister also noted that the Federal Ministry of Works had adopted a funding prioritisation framework to sustain road projects initially financed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited under the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme.
He stressed that President Bola Tinubu had directed that none of such projects should be abandoned, adding that priority would be given to critical economic corridors.
Umahi also decried the indiscriminate parking of heavy-duty vehicles on highways, saying it was damaging the pavements of completed sections of the road.
He said letters would be sent to state governors and the Inspector-General of Police to enforce punitive measures against defaulters.
Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works in Rivers State, Mrs Enwereama Tarilade, said RCC had completed 15km of the right carriageway and commenced work on the left carriageway, with one kilometre already laid in Continuously Reinforced Concrete Pavement.
The Rivers State Government says it will ensure the smooth and successful takeoff of the newly established Federal University of Environment and Technology (FUET), in Ogoniland.
This commitment was made yesterday by the Administrator of Rivers State, Retired Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (Rtd), during a courtesy visit by the university’s Governing Council and Management team at the Government House, in Port Harcourt.
The high-level delegation was led by the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Council, Professor Don Baridam and the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chinedu Mmom.
In his address, Administrator Ibas warmly congratulated the pioneer council and management on their appointments, describing their task as both a recognition of individual accomplishment and a historic call to duty.
“This is not just a recognition of your personal achievements but also a call to history to shape an institution that will have a profound impact on Rivers State, the Niger Delta, and indeed our country,” he stated.
The Administrator commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the establishment of the specialized university in Ogoniland, describing the initiative as “timely and strategic.”
He emphasized that the university’s presence offers a critical opportunity to drive research, innovation, and community-focused solutions to the region’s pressing environmental and developmental challenges.
He further noted that the university’s core focus aligns perfectly with the priorities of his administration.“We consider this university not merely as another institution of higher learning but as a strategic partner in our collective effort to rebuild Rivers State under the ongoing state of emergency and beyond,” he affirmed.
Responding to specific requests presented by the delegation, Administrator Ibas assured the university of immediate support in critical areas essential for the its commencement.
These include the provision of operational vehicles, key facilities, and the completion of the access road to the campus, adding that other vital needs, such as perimeter fencing, refuse disposal, and the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy, would be addressed within the framework of the state’s broader infrastructure and support programmes.
To ensure swift action, the Administrator directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to work closely with the university’s Governing Council to prioritize the sequence of requests, particularly those tied to the commencement of academic activities in September 2025.
“Let me assure you that Rivers State Government will stand as a dependable partner to the Federal University of Environment and Technology. We see this university as part of our long-term investment in knowledge, innovation, and the future of our youths,” he emphasized.
In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Professor Don Baridam, reaffirmed the university’s commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and community development.
He disclosed that the Federal Government has directed the institution to formally commence its academic session in September 2025, adding that preparations are in full swing to ensure a smooth take-off with adequate infrastructure and resources in place.
“Today’s meeting marks the beginning of a strategic partnership between the Rivers State Government and FUET, envisioned to establish the university as a premier hub for research, innovation, and sustainable development in the Niger Delta”, he said.