By Bishop Sahr Isaac Peterson
Far from the West Coast of Africa, Sierra Leone, I have heard the cry of innocent citizens of Nigeria. As a Pan-Africanist and someone who is a literary figure, my phenomenal presence in research has espoused hundreds of killings and bloodshed in Nigeria. I can’t sit and watch things go abysmally. Nigeria is under ECOWAS. My country, Sierra Leone, is headed under the President Bio-chairmanship, hence, I see no need to sit down and observe without sending my voice to protect my neighbors in that land.
In the third person, an observer would note that Nigeria has experienced a rise in mass killings and attacks on civilians across several states since 2024. According to figures released by Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission, at least 2,266 people were killed by bandits or insurgents in the first half of 2025 alone, compared to 2,194 recorded for the full year of 2024. The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Tony Ojukwu, stated that these were “fathers, mothers, children, and breadwinners; families torn apart, livelihoods destroyed, and futures extinguished”. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project reported about 12,000 conflict-related deaths in 2025.
In Zamfara State, which has faced long-running attacks by armed groups referred to locally as bandits, authorities confirmed that 39 people were seized when they went to a meeting in a forest near Magamin Diddi village in Maradun municipality. The victims were reportedly meeting relatives of a bandit leader in an attempt to broker peace and ease restrictions on movement. The state remains at the center of a security crisis involving mass kidnappings, killings, and village raids that have disrupted farming and displaced thousands. Several individuals were later reported to have been released to convey ransom demands back to the village.
Benue State in the North Central zone has recorded some of the deadliest incidents. On 8 June 2025, an armed attack occurred in Yelwata community, Guma Local Government Area. Reports indicated that attackers carried out a coordinated assault that resulted in the killing of over 200 people, including women and children, and displaced more than 3,000 residents, with over 500 children among those displaced. The settlement was vacated and humanitarian needs escalated rapidly, with gaps in healthcare, shelter, food, water, sanitation, and protection services. As of IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix Round 46 in 2024, over 400,000 internally displaced persons were residing in Benue, one of the highest IDP concentrations in Nigeria.
In Plateau State, attacks have also led to significant loss of life. In April 2025, gunmen attacked the Zike community, killing at least 40 people, including children and the elderly, who were reportedly taken by surprise. President Bola Tinubu acknowledged the attack and ordered an investigation, extending condolences to victims and their families and instructing security agencies to identify those responsible. In recent weeks, several attacks in Plateau left more than 100 people dead. On 31 May, attackers invaded Gwom-Ajang village in Foron District, killing eight people and injuring over 15 others, with victims later buried in a mass grave.
Attacks on education facilities have continued to draw international concern. The UN Secretary-General’s 2024 report on children in armed conflict, released in 2025, ranked Nigeria fourth globally for “grave violations” against schoolchildren, with 2,436 verified cases, after Israel/Palestine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia. On 17 November 2025, gunmen attacked Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, at about 4 a.m., killing Vice Principal Hassan Yakubu Makuku and abducting at least 25 students. UNICEF condemned the attack and stressed that classrooms must remain places of safety, not fear, while calling for the swift release of all those abducted. Save the Children noted that the Northwest has seen 49 school attack incidents with 184 students killed, describing the Kebbi attack as “a painful reminder of the persistent security crisis”.
In Oyo State, on 15 May 2026, armed men attacked multiple schools in Ahoro Esinele community, Oriire Local Government Area, abducting about 39 pupils and seven teachers, and killing two people. At Baptist Nursery and Primary School, schoolbags and children’s footwear were left scattered across classroom floors, while a teacher was shot dead trying to escape through a classroom window at LA Primary School. Reports indicate that more than 600 students and teachers were abducted from schools across Nigeria between March 2024 and May 2026.
The violence affects civilians across occupations and locations. In Borno State, 25 laborers who travelled to Sabon Gari town for construction work were killed when gunmen attacked. Soldiers and civilian security personnel have also been targeted. The National Human Rights Commission reported more than 17 soldiers killed in Kaduna and Niger States and over 40 members of the Civilian Joint Task Force killed in Zamfara State in the first half of 2025. In Borno, nine soldiers and two members of a civilian task force were killed in a pre-dawn assault on an army base.
Farmer-herder clashes, rooted in disputes over land and grazing, have contributed to displacement and deaths. The UNHCR warned that attacks between nomadic herders and farming communities have left several hundred people dead and tens of thousands displaced in fertile regions. Clashes in Enugu State killed more than 40 people and displaced hundreds. Since 2019, farmer-herder conflict has displaced over 2.2 million people. UN officials have noted that the crisis extends beyond religious or ethnic lines and has spread across much of the country, creating one of Africa’s largest humanitarian emergencies.
Politicians and public officials have also been affected. In Katsina State, terrorists ambushed and abducted retired Major General Rabe Abubakar Batsari, a former Director of Defence Information, and his wife on the Marabar Musawa-Kafinsoli Highway in Matazu Local Government Area on 30 May. In Oyo, the younger sister of a former Minister of Power and her twin sons were kidnapped while on their way to school on 3 June.
The Nigerian Constitution, Section 14(2)(b), states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. As Commander-in-Chief, President Bola Tinubu has condemned attacks and ordered investigations, including after the Zike community killings. His administration has approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards in Oyo State and directed special rescue teams after the Oriire school abductions. However, the National Human Rights Commission called for “urgent and decisive action from the government” after reporting that more people were killed in the first half of 2025 than in all of 2024.
International bodies have expressed concern. The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stated “deep concern” over credible reports of killings, abductions, sexual violence, and forced conversions targeting Christian and other religious minority communities, particularly in northern and Middle Belt regions. The UN noted that worsening insecurity has created an environment where armed groups operate with severe consequences for civilians and persistent allegations of impunity.
Community members and experts have discussed measures that could reduce violence. These include coordinated intelligence to address armed group operations in forest corridors; implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration, which Nigeria endorsed in 2015 to protect education facilities during conflict; strengthened dialogue between farmers and herders to address disputes over land and grazing; and accountability for perpetrators to reduce impunity. The situation also requires support for internally displaced persons, many of whom lack consistent access to healthcare, food, and protection services.
Nigeria is a nation of over 200 million people with diverse languages, faiths, and traditions. When civilians, including schoolchildren, workers, farmers, soldiers, and public officials, are killed or abducted, public trust in safety is affected. The constitutional mandate places responsibility on government institutions to protect lives and property. From the perspective of Pan-African solidarity and ECOWAS membership, which includes Sierra Leone under President Bio’s chairmanship, the situation in Nigeria is a regional concern.
The citizenry voted for purpose. They were not voting to allow bloodshed and violence to define daily life. Pursuant to ECOWAS laws and constitutional provisions, the expectation is that the President would be a firsthand witness in promoting peace and security. Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution is clear: the security and welfare of the people is the primary purpose of government. Under ECOWAS protocols on conflict prevention and human rights, member states commit to protecting civilians and maintaining regional stability. The people expect that mandate to be fulfilled without delay.
Yet the data suggest gaps between mandate and outcome. More people were killed in the first half of 2025 than in all of 2024, according to the National Human Rights Commission. Editorial pages across Nigeria have stated that “President Bola Tinubu must rise to the occasion and act decisively” because “violence is rapidly becoming the defining feature of life in Nigeria”. The administration has taken steps such as approving forest guards and directing rescue operations, but the scale of killings, abductions, and displacement continues to rise.
Remember Nigeria is the breadbasket of Africa. The country produces food for millions and holds vast agricultural potential. The best artistes are in Nigeria. Best pastors, best movie actors and actresses. Nigerian music, film, and culture influence the continent and the world. But why still lacking in the maintenance of peace and security. When farms are abandoned because farmers fear attack, food security suffers. When artists, pastors, actors, and actresses cannot travel freely, the creative economy suffers. When schools are targets, the next generation of innovators and leaders is interrupted.
Above all, condoning the idea of citizens being laid in their raw blood is unacceptable under law and conscience. The Constitution does not grant permission for impunity. ECOWAS protocols do not allow member states to ignore mass killings. The expectation is action: visible protection for communities, effective intelligence, accountability for perpetrators, and support for displaced families. The people voted for governance, not grief.
Wake up HE Tunubu. Africa is not sleeping. From Freetown to Abuja, from Dakar to Addis Ababa, observers are watching how Nigeria responds to the killing of its citizens. The continent looks to Nigeria for leadership because of its size, resources, and influence. When Nigeria secures its people, West Africa becomes safer. When Nigeria fails to protect schools and villages, the instability spreads across borders. Pan-African solidarity means speaking when neighbors are in pain and expecting leaders to act on the mandate given to them.
The expectation, in the third person, is that His Excellency, President Ahmed Bola Tunubu, will prioritize actions that reduce civilian deaths, protect schools, secure highways and rural communities, and ensure justice for victims. The goal is a Nigeria where parents can send children to school without fear, farmers can access their land, and communities can live without the threat of mass violence. Urgent, sustained, and people-centered action is required to move toward that outcome.
