Badamasi Bello, Jadetimes Contributor
B. Bello is a Jadetimes news reporter covering African News
By the end of 2024, many Nigerians were struggling to survive, be safe, and hold on to hope.
The security situation in the country looked grim, with an intricate nexus of internal and external threats abounding: from widespread violence and kidnappings to organized criminal activities. Blood, tears, and fear have become the national narrative.
Security Forces Under Siege
The losses suffered by Nigeria's leading security agency, the Nigeria Police Force, were crippling: it lost a staggering 140 officers in the line of duty in FCT alone this 2024. The military did not also escape unscathed in the attack. On April 19, 2024, six personnel, comprising two officers and four soldiers, were ambushed and killed at Karaga Village, Niger State. In like manner, such attacks in North-East, South-East, and South-South further indicated that security forces were being unremittingly pushed to their limits.
A Nation Under Siege
Rampant banditry, insurgency, kidnapping, and armed robbery belabored Nigeria. In the North-West, extremist groups like ISWAP and the new insurgent group, the Lakurawa terrorists, struck with increased frequency. Ethnoreligious conflict, especially within the Middle Belt, drove both localized violence and tension. In the Niger Delta, oil theft and related violence undermined livelihoods and national economic stability.
Added to this were cultism, drug and arms trafficking, terrorism financing, and money laundering. Cybercrime was also becoming a nightmare, especially among the youths, and became quite a protracted threat to national stability.
Tragic Losses
Banditry had a field day in rural areas: sacking villages, burning homes, and destroying livelihoods. Many farmers could not dare go to their fields for fear of being attacked by bandits, resulting in widespread economic ruin.
South-East Crisis
The South-East witnessed escalated violence by separatist groups as the latter imposed sit-at-home orders. Coordinated attacks in Abatete and Ukpo communities of Anambra State on November 18, 2024, left three vigilante members and one civilian dead. Another attack, blamed on the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra, left 11 dead in Aba, Abia State, among them five military personnel. Many civilians were caught in the crossfire, with reported harassment and assault by security forces.
According to a report by SMB Morgen, N419.2 million in ransom was paid in the South-East between July 2023 and June 2024, representing 40% of the N1.048 billion paid nationwide. Anambra State was the worst hit, with families paying N350.2 million in ransom.
Kidnapping Epidemic
Kidnappings reached unprecedented levels. Tragically, many victims were killed despite ransom payments. One high-profile case involved Major General Richard Duru (retd), who was kidnapped in Imo State. Despite his family paying $50,000, he was murdered by his captors.
Reports said 2.2 million Nigerians were kidnapped nationwide, with a fatality rate of 12.8%. The North-West recorded the highest number of cases, followed by the North-Central and South-East.
Targeting Religious Figures
The headlines of the brutality in that year were kidnapped and murdered Catholic priests. Victims ranged from several priests kidnapped nationwide to an awful development that seemed to target religious leaders.
Surge in Cybercrime
The year 2024 witnessed increased incidents of cybercrime, with losses running into high figures resulting from different sophisticated attacks like phishing, ransomware, and business e-mail compromise. The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, NPF-NCCC, recovered N8.8 billion and arrested suspects totalling 751.
Efforts and Challenges over Security
Notwithstanding, security forces had some remarkable successes: neutralizing a number of the most notorious bandit leaders, including Halilu Sububu and Buhari Alhaji Halidu; the Nigerian Air Force flew sorties amounting to more than 1,040 missions hugely degrading adversaries; and police in the FCT reported a 15.1% reduction in crime, recovering firearms, ammunition, and stolen vehicles while arresting thousands of suspects.
Outlook for 2025
Despite these, the security situation remains fragile. In early 2025, tragedy struck as one student was killed and four injured in a bomb explosion at Kuchibiyu Community, Bwari Area Council, Abuja.
Experts note that new approaches will be required to deal with emerging threats, such as cybercrime and urban violence. Women, according to security analyst Frank Oshanugor, remain the easiest targets of kidnappers and mechanisms must be created to reduce these incidences. Recommendations.
There is a need for increased accountability within the Nigeria Police Force, coupled with community policing. Improving on creating awareness and partnership building, particularly within civil society organizations, will help in mitigating socio-economic drivers of crime like poverty and unemployment along the path to lasting stability.
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