Nigeria’s multi-layered security crisis has taken on a deeply troubling dimension, with recent data revealing a dual tragedy: 824 civilians have been killed by security forces, while 242 police officers have died in violent attacks by non-state actors between 2023 and mid-2025. This grim reality comes despite the Nigerian government’s allocation of over ₦12.6 trillion to the defence and security sector since 2009.
A joint analysis by SBM Intelligence, through the Police Fatality Tracker and Security Force Brutality Report, documents 598 incidents of state-led violence against civilians from October 2020 to July 2025. The Nigeria Police Force was responsible for 317 of those, accounting for 303 civilian deaths. Lagos, the FCT, and Delta recorded the highest civilian casualties, while the South-South zone bore the worst brunt with 194 deaths.
At the same time, Nigeria’s police officers remain under siege, with 255 attacks resulting in 242 deaths across the country from 2023 to 2025. The South-East led the tally with 86 attacks, followed by the North-Central and South-South. Borno, Anambra, and Zamfara topped the list of police fatalities by state.
This duality—security personnel as both perpetrators and victims—exposes the structural flaws and contradictions in Nigeria’s approach to internal security. Experts cite poor welfare, outdated engagement rules, corruption, and a culture of impunity as central factors driving brutality against civilians and weakening the morale and effectiveness of the security forces.
Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore recently warned that conditions in the police force are so dire that a wave of nationwide protests by serving officers is possible if urgent reforms are not undertaken.
Since the 2009 extrajudicial killing of Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf, Nigeria has poured immense financial and military resources into the fight against insurgency. Despite the staggering ₦12.607 trillion allocated to the Ministry of Defence from 2009 to 2025—and additional billions in foreign aid and emergency funds—the insurgency has only morphed into more complex threats.
From Operation Restore Order under President Goodluck Jonathan to Operation Lafiya Dole, Safe Corridor, Last Hold, and the current Operation Hadin Kai, every administration has launched new strategies. Yet attacks by Boko Haram, ISWAP, and other armed groups continue, with rising civilian casualties and displacement.
According to the 2025 Nigeria Security Report by Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited (BSIL), the first half of this year alone recorded 4,672 violent incidents and 6,800 fatalities—a 13.67% increase compared to the last half of 2024. Zamfara State topped the fatality chart with 1,088 deaths and 1,755 abductions.
Security experts say money alone cannot win the war. Dr. Kabiru Adamu, managing director of Beacon Consults, warned that despite increased budgets, systemic corruption, weak accountability, and poor coordination between agencies have crippled Nigeria’s security apparatus.
“Significant portions of allocated funds are lost to inflated contracts and kickbacks, leaving personnel ill-equipped and unmotivated”, he said. He also pointed to inadequate welfare, porous borders, and limited use of intelligence as contributing factors.
Echoing similar sentiments, Dr. Steve Okwori of Sticmirac International criticised the repetitive use of top-down military deployments without sustainable community-based strategies.
“The same cycle continues: deploy troops, withdraw them, and leave communities vulnerable again. Criminals regroup in forests and strike. Rural areas remain unprotected”, he noted.
The convergence of widespread brutality by state forces and lethal attacks on security personnel reveals a nation entangled in mutual suspicion, fear, and institutional decay. In states like Anambra and Plateau, the paradox is glaring – police officers killed by insurgents, while civilians die at the hands of security operatives.
Experts say the path forward must involve more than just funding and force. They advocate for a bottom-up approach that strengthens local security networks, ensures transparency, addresses poverty and unemployment, and restores public trust in state institutions.
As Nigeria continues to grapple with a growing death toll – over 1,000 from security agents and 6,800 overall in 2025 alone – the urgent need for holistic reform, accountability, and people-centred governance has never been clearer.
