Although Nigeria is not officially at war, the country continues to bleed from within as over 2,000 people were killed between January and March 2025, according to a review of conflict-related fatalities from various security tracking sources.
The first quarter of the year saw the deaths of 892 civilians, 136 security personnel, and 234 Boko Haram fighters, alongside hundreds of others caught in the crossfire of banditry, terrorism, and communal clashes.
These figures highlight the stark reality of Nigeria's unrelenting internal security crisis, which spans the North-East, North-West, Middle Belt, and parts of the South. Boko Haram and its ISWAP offshoot remain active in Borno and Yobe States, while bandit groups continue to wreak havoc in Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger.
Although security forces have made gains such as the neutralization of 234 insurgents human rights observers stress that the death toll among civilians remains tragically high, raising serious questions about protection of non-combatants and the effectiveness of counterinsurgency strategies.
In addition to insurgency-related violence, intercommunal clashes and rising cases of kidnapping-for-ransom contributed significantly to the body count. The security forces, who themselves suffered 136 losses, remain overstretched and under-resourced.
Analysts warn that unless urgent reforms and strategic investments are made in intelligence, community policing, and governance, the pattern of mass casualties will persist despite the absence of a formal declaration of war.
The Nigerian government has yet to issue a consolidated casualty report for Q1 2025, but civil society organizations continue to urge more transparency and a renewed commitment to safeguarding innocent lives.
