•Death toll higher than 8,356 wasted under Buhari, worse than Jonathan’s 2,059 all in 10 months

•Northern senators kick

On March 14, 17 officers and men of the 181 Amphibious Battalion, Bomadi, were killed at Okuama community in Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State on account of the land dispute between Okuama and Okoloba communities.

The 17 soldiers including one lieutenant Colonel, two majors and a captain met their Waterloo during alleged botched peace talks in the community. The murder of the military men has led to a military siege to Okuama in which houses had been razed and no fewer than 50 people reportedly killed.

The 67 reported souls lost to the Okuama crisis are among the 6,931 people killed across the country in 10 months since President Bola Tinubu assumed power, last May.

In immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari’s first 10 months in office, May 2015 to March 2016, Nigeria lost 8,356 people to insecurity.

In former President Goodluck Jonathan’s first 10 months as elected head of state, May 2011 to March 2012, insecurity claimed 2,059 lives.

The figures under Jonathan and Buhari were got from the records of the Nigeria Security Tracker, NST, a project of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Africa programme, which documented and mapped violence in Nigeria motivated by political, economic or social grievances.

However, the death toll under Tinubu is based on media reports.

In all, the figures are conservative because some killings are under-reported or not reported.

In January 2024, troops killed 266 terrorists and bandits in operations across the country. In February 2024, troops neutralised 974 terrorists.

In the last two months, the Chairman of Benue Ethnic Leaders and President General of Mzough U Tiv, MUT, worldwide, Chief lorbee Ihagh, claimed that herdsmen militia had killed no fewer than 147 persons in various attacks on Benue communities.

As of March 21, no fewer than 432 lives had been lost to insecurity in the third month of the year

Recurring bandits’ attacks in Zamfara, Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, Kebbi and many North-East and North-Central states have led the deaths and kidnap of thousands of people.

The South-East states where unknown gunmen are wreaking are not spared. So also states of South-South and parts of South-West where criminal gangs and armed herdsmen operate.

How 2,059 were killed in Jonathan’s first 10 months

May 2011 – 29

June 2011 – 59

July 2011 – 94

Aug 2011 – 131

Sept 2011 – 109

Oct 2011 -72

Nov 2011 – 254

Dec 2011 – 348

Jan 2012 – 418

Feb 2012 – 226

Mar 2012 – 319

Total———2,059

Death toll in Buhari’s first 10 months

May 2015 -767

June 2015 -808

July 2015 -1,299

Aug 2015 – 790

Sept 2015 – 514

Oct 2015 – 826

Nov 2015 – 510

Dec 2015 – 809

Jan 2016 – 484

Feb 2016 – 1,076

Mar 2016 – 468

Total ———8,356

How 6,931 persons were killed under Tinubu in 10 months

May 2023 – 587

June 2023 – 690

July 2023 – 620

Aug 2023 – 682

Sept 2023 – 527

Oct 2023- 621

Nov 2023 – 869

Dec 2023 – 837

Jan 2024 – 666

Feb 2024 – 1,374

Mar 2024- 432

Total————6,931@~£

Northern Senators kick

Senators from the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja under the aegis of Northern Senators Forum, NSF, on Wednesday decried the raging wave of killings and kidnapping in the North and urged decisive action to stop the trend.

In a statement by their Chairman, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua, APC, Katsina Central, the Northern senators said they would not rest until the security situation was brought under control and the perpetrators brought to justice

The statement read in part:

“The distressing state of affairs concerning the recent wave of violence and kidnappings in the North is a major concern to the Northern Senators Forum. The series of events that have unfolded in Kaduna State, beginning with the kidnapping of 286 students and staff from a school on March 7th, the despicable attack on worshippers in a mosque on March 8th, the abduction of 61 more persons on March 12th, followed by 14 individuals on March 17th, and a staggering total of 87 individuals in Kajuru on March 18th, among others, are not only reprehensible but demand urgent and resolute action.”

Disturbed by the killings, the National Assembly has held many meetings with the security chiefs and President Tinubu had repeatedly ordered the security chiefs to halt the trend.

It is to be seen if these moves would yield desired results in terms of security of lives and property of Nigerians. (Saturday Vanguard)

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