…State police a potential game changer – Experts
Nigeria’s deepening security crisis has left a trail of death, destruction and displacement across the country, with official and independent reports indicating that more than 628,000 people have been killed and over 2.2 million abducted since 2023.
The alarming figures are despite huge government spending on defence and security, raising fresh concerns about the effectiveness of efforts to combat terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, communal violence and other forms of organised crime.
Between 2021 and 2026, Nigeria consistently prioritised defence and security. Allocation rose from N1.97 trillion in 2021 to N2.41 trillion in 2022, N2.74 trillion in 2023, N3.25 trillion in 2024, N4.91 trillion in 2025 and N5.41 trillion in 2026. Yet, the security situation has remained dire.
At the centre of the grim statistics is the National Bureau of Statistics’ Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey, which revealed that between May 2023 and April 2024, no fewer than 614,937 Nigerians were killed in violent incidents, while 2,235,954 others were abducted nationwide.
