At least 965 soldiers and policemen have died in the line of duty as a result of the escalation of violence in many parts of Nigeria, perpetrated by Boko Haram, bandits, activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and other non-state actors in the last two years.

Daily Trust Saturday tracked the various violent incidents related to killings of police and military personnel between January 2021 and April 2023 in which findings revealed that Nigeria’s security officials bore a significant brunt of killings by non-state actors.

The data metrics, which were exclusively gathered from reported incidents in newspapers, showed that 581 policemen and 384 military personnel died in the line of duty within the period under review.

Retired senior officers, however, said the incidents, though unfortunate, would not affect the morale of security forces, who are spread all over the country to maintain law and order.

Daily Trust Saturday could not get official records from the Nigerian Army and police headquarters as efforts to reach the army spokesperson, Onyema Nwachukwu and the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, did not yield results after they both failed to respond to calls and text messages.

However, records revealed that the NPF has approximately 371,800 officers across the country, with a ratio of one police officer to 540 citizens. This is lower than the United Nation’s recommended rate of one police officer to 450 people.

For the military, World Bank database revealed that as at 2019, Nigeria had a military strength of 223,000 personnel. This figure, despite a significant loss of at least 384 personnel, was corroborated in February, 2023 by Nigeria’s minister of defence, Bashir Magashi, during the 25th edition of President Muhammadu Buhari’s scorecard series to showcase his administration’s achievements.

A breakdown of the data mined by this newspaper showed that out of the 384 military personnel killed, 192 were killed by Boko Haram and other terrorists, 68 by gunmen and the IPOB, 62 by bandits and 62 by other criminal groups and circumstances.

Newspaper reports showed that from the 581 police officers killed, 344 were killed by gunmen and the IPOB, 119 were killed by bandits and kidnappers, while 53 by armed robbers and other criminal groups. The data also showed that 32 police officer died in accidents while 18 were killed by colleagues and other security personnel and 15 by Boko Haram and the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP).

Regions, states with high military, police killings
Data from media reports collated by this newspaper revealed that men of the Nigerian military recorded heavier casualties in the North, especially North East and North West, where activities of Boko Haram and bandits are more prevalent. The police, on the other hand, suffered heavier casualties in the southern part of the country, especially the South East and South-South, where activities of IPOB and gunmen, a term loosely used to refer to attacks by suspected members of the Eastern Security Network, the armed group of IPOB are more prevalent.

North West, 106 in the South-South and 85 men in the North Central. The police also lost 43 officers in the South West and 37 in the North East.

The five states with the highest police killings are Anambra, where 63 police officers lost their lives, followed by Imo, where 52 officers were killed, as well as Niger State, where 42 police officers were killed.

Others are Delta State, where 37 were killed and Ebonyi, where 35 police officers lost their lives. The five states make 39.5 per cent of police killings in the country.

The top five states with the highest military losses include Borno State, where 152 soldiers were killed in the last two years, followed by Kaduna State, where the military lost 35 soldiers, and Kebbi, where 23 soldiers were killed in the line of duty. In Niger State, 28 soldiers were killed, while 20 were killed in Anambra State. The five states combined make 67 per cent of military killings in the country.

The data from police killings revealed that out of 581 police lives lost in the last two years, 60 per cent came from the South while the North has 40 per cent. The data also showed that 305 of police killings were as a result of ambush by gunmen, with the South East and South-South recording 73.7 per cent.

On a region-by-region analysis, the NPF lost 200 officers in the South East, 110 in the North West, 106 in the South-South and 85 men in the North Central. The police also lost 43 officers in the South West and 37 in the North East.

Losses will not affect officers’ morale – Retired officers
Speaking on the number of casualties recorded by the military, Major Muhammad Bashir Galma (retd) said such things were expected in Nigeria’s ongoing security challenges. He, however, said every military officer killed in that cause was a loss to Nigeria. Major Galma described the number of military personnel killed in the line of duty as alarming, but said that as far as the operational mode was concerned, the military are known for recording such high casualties, therefore, the losses would not affect troops’ morale.

On his part, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Wilson Inalegwu, said ambushes on the NPF, especially in the South East would not affect the morale of the police as those who joined any law enforcement agency are aware that they cannot determine what happens to them.

Inalagwu, who linked the country’s increasing crime rates to unemployment, poverty and illiteracy, among others, said the government must address all the root causes of crimes.

“I think the root causes of crimes must be addressed to stop these attacks and killings of police officers. The police community relations must be improved to make communities see the police as part of them in order to feed them with sensitive information.

“Also, a lot of training and professionalism needs to be put in the system to help the police survive these ambushes,” he added.

He said the police had tried to be professional and respond to distress calls, even when danger lurks. “But because of their passion to serve, they have found themselves ambushed and killed.

“What will affect their morale is what will happen to their families after they get killed. What are the death gratuities? Are they going to be evicted from the barracks? These are the things that will affect the morale of police officers, not the killings,” Inalegwu said.

https://dailytrust.com/nigeria-loses-965-soldiers-policemen-to-boko-haram-ipob-in-2-years/

If you consider how these uniformed people disregard civilians whose taxes pay their salaries and finance their operations, you will be on cloud nine that they met their match in terrorists and armed separatist groups.

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I don't know what to say about this but one thing l just want to say is that...

" l still hate nigerian police more than any thing "

Buhari caused their deaths. His failure to secure the lives of Nigerians including policemen and soldiers brought about the outrageous numbers of deaths. May their souls rest in peace amen

Hmmm

Defence of oneself is constitutional, remove IPOB from that dorty talk!

RIP to the gallant men... Call of duty, Call to serve

sonature1:
If you consider how these uniformed people disregard civilians whose taxes pay their salaries and finance their operations, you will be on cloud nine that they met their match in terrorists and armed separatist groups.

Are you in someways connected to those killers?

That's a conservative estimate but on the other side, Southeast lost more than 10,000 innocent youths to Nigerian Security Agencies.

Nigeria needs a truth and reconciliation committee to bind.

The blood of the innocents dumped in mass graves is yarning for justice.


I know most stupid degenerates will quote me because they hate Igbos and wish them all dead.

tollyboy5:

Are you in someways connected to those killers?

If you had tasted a bit of police's brutality and injustice before, you would have a properly functioning brain.

Nigerian law enforcement agencies created a lot of enemity between them and the citizens

Rip to the lost souls

sonature1:


If you had tasted a bit of police's brutality and injustice before, you would have a properly functioning brain.

I've had even during the time of SARS. Still i don't wish people dead.
Or have you been chased by SARS b4? You think others don't have their experiences.

Hmmm

Ipob are the most peaceful freedom fighters in the world now.

There's no evidence that they have killed a single person, instead Nigeria terror securities has killed hundreds of them protesting peacefully, holding meeting, praying in open field,etc.

Yeye newspaper. If you dont mention Ipob in your criminality you will not get traffic.

Well Tinubu is a place holder president

Buhari is responsible for there death

A very useless general

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJZwFQF5N8s

tollyboy5:

Are you in someways connected to those killers?

From his comment,it's very clear that he is either a kidnapper, armed robber or a bandit.He is definitely a high profile criminal

oyebanji44:
I don't know what to say about this but one thing l just want to say is that...

" l still hate nigerian police more than any thing "

It's a normal thing sir,a criminal like you will never like security men

In 24 months Nigeria lost the equivalent of a battalion of soldiers yet useless Buhari said he had secured Nigeria? We were losing 41 soldiers a month or 1.4 soldiers every day and yet Buhari claimed he had secured Nigeria

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How many Nigerians have been killed by Fulani herdsmen in the last two years?

I think security personnel should stop killing the unarmed and innocent people

CondenseMilk:
Defence of oneself is constitutional, remove IPOB from that dorty talk!

Boko haram will equally say the same thing after all they are fighting for Islamic caliphate while IPOB is fighting to restore Biafra.

paramakina202:


Boko haram will equally say the same thing after all they are fighting for Islamic caliphate while IPOB is fighting to restore Biafra.

That same Boko haram was once peaceful under its original founder, Yusuf Dikko

What did your Nigerian state do? They moved in and killed many of Yusuf Dikko's followers, arrested Dikko and publicly executed him.

Shekau then took over what was left of Boko haram, armed them, and Nigeria has been fighting for over 10 years at cost of billions of Naira that could have been used for other things, and hundreds of thousands of people dead

Thats what the Nigerian state does, it brings violence where there is peace, creates monster's, then starts to shout "terrorism"

IPOB, Boko haram, ENDSARS, IMN, Niger Delta militants are just examples of peaceful movements your Nigerian government brought violence into in their desperate attempts to silence all voice of dissent,

And you guys are surprised that you now have a country that is largely violent?

Those who make peaceful agitation impossible, will make violent agitation inevitable ~ JFK

gidgiddy:


That same Boko haram was once peaceful under its original founder, Yusuf Dikko

What did your Nigerian state do? They moved in and killed many of Yusuf Dikko's followers, arrested Dikko and publicly executed him.

Shekau then took over what was left of Boko haram, armed them, and Nigeria has been fighting for over 10 years at cost of billions of Naira that could have been used for other things, and hundreds of thousands of people dead

Thats what the Nigerian state does, it brings violence where there is peace, creates monster's, then starts to shout "terrorism"

IPOB, Boko haram, ENDSARS, IMN, Niger Delta militants are just examples of peaceful movements your Nigerian government brought violence into in their desperate attempts to silence all voice of dissent,

And you guys are surprised that you now have a country that is largely violent?

Those who make peaceful agitation impossible, will make violent agitation inevitable ~ JFK

Yeah our own Ojukwu and Gen Ironsi who happened to come from same state with me set the standard on how to handle rebels when they both hunt down Adaka Boro and his group and sentenced him to death but government of today lack the balls to convict enemies of state like Boro,MNK and Yusuf of Boko Haram and other bandits.Have you ever condemned Gen Ironsi for doing his job by violently defeating Adaka's Boro's insurgency?
Why should today's terrorist and enemies of be treated differently?

Sad revelation

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