AT least 53 security operatives, including soldiers, police officers, NSCDC personnel, immigration and customs officers, vigilantes, and members of community watch groups, have been killed in separate attacks across Nigeria within the last two weeks, according to data compiled by Daily Trust from media reports.
Most of the deaths occurred during ambushes on patrol teams, raids on communities, and assaults on checkpoints. The figure does not include unreported cases.
The most recent incidents took place in Benue and Kogi states, where multiple officers were killed in coordinated gunmen attacks.
In Benue, a joint clearance operation in Katsina-Ala LGA came under heavy fire, leaving at least three confirmed dead and several others missing.
In Kogi, four police officers and a passerby were shot dead at checkpoints in Lokoja and Yagba East LGAs.
The Nigeria Police Force confirmed three deaths and seven missing officers in Benue, adding that six suspects had been arrested in connection with the attack.
Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, condemned the killings as “cruel and unwarranted,” while ordering more tactical deployments to the state.
Beyond these latest attacks, insecurity remains widespread nationwide.
Earlier in September, personnel of the NSCDC, Immigration, Customs, the Civilian JTF, and vigilantes were also killed in Zamfara, Edo, Borno, Katsina, and Abuja.
Security analysts say the sustained targeting of security operatives shows a dangerous trend of criminals seeking to weaken state authority while looting arms.
In Benue alone, Governor Hyacinth Alia recently disclosed that more than 76 security operatives had been killed in the past year.
The killings come amid wider concerns about rising banditry, communal violence, and terrorism across the country.