Resurgence of insecurity: Nigeria’s alarming return to the season of killings
By Austine Emmanuel
The past few weeks have delivered grim and chilling reminders that Nigeria’s long and painful battle against insecurity is far from won. Across the nation from the once-peaceful towns of Sokoto and Kebbi, through the farming belts of Benue and Plateau, the forests of Kwara, and the rural stretches of Southern Kaduna, Nigeria is once again bleeding under a renewed, devastating wave of killings, abductions, and widespread destruction.
The latest cycle of violence paints a harrowing picture of pervasive terror. In Kaduna and Plateau States, no fewer than seventeen people were killed in separate attacks, with armed men storming villages like Damakasuwa, Kwi, and Pushit, leaving scores dead and scattering survivors.
The crisis swiftly spread to Kwara State, where bandits invaded the Igbonla community, abducting residents dragged into the forest under the cover of midnight gunfire.
In Benue State, the economic backbone of families was targeted when a large rice farm was deliberately set ablaze, consuming a harvest worth millions of naira and compounding existing poverty.
The audacity of the attackers reached a dangerous peak with the ambush of the convoy of Prince Shimapever Jiji, a serving member of the Benue State House of Assembly, resulting in the death of a former councillor, Hon. Atindiga Tsebee. This pattern of violence, which now targets community and political figures, reveals how deeply insecurity has penetrated even the circles of public authority.
Meanwhile, in the North-West, terrorists continue to operate with impunity in Sokoto and Kebbi, overrunning villages, abducting residents, and demanding ransom, turning a once-vibrant agricultural region into one consumed by daily fear.
For many Nigerians, the renewed wave of bloodshed has replaced the brief optimism that followed the recent change in security leadership. This recurrent violence raises fundamental questions about the government’s capacity to guarantee safety in the face of a constantly mutating crisis.
The international community is watching with growing alarm. While the controversial comment by United States President Donald Trump about potential military intervention to protect Christian communities sparked widespread debate, it undeniably reflects the palpable frustration felt by citizens who feel abandoned by their own government and desperately yearn for decisive action.
Groups like the Southern Kaduna People’s United-Association (SOKAPU) have meticulously documented the recent carnage, noting that between October 23 and 31, 2025, at least 14 people were killed and 30 abducted across several communities. Beyond the human toll, the deliberate destruction of farmlands and food storage barns is creating fears of imminent food scarcity, suggesting these are not merely localized clashes but calculated acts with political or economic motives.
Experts largely agree that the resurgence of violence stems from systemic failures in intelligence coordination, deep-seated poverty, and political neglect. Many communities are functionally cut off from reliable policing, forcing reliance on poorly equipped vigilante groups. Furthermore, instances of extortion by security personnel in some areas have severely eroded public trust and discouraged vital community cooperation.
While President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has pledged a new era focused on intelligence-led operations and regional security cooperation, and recent successes have been recorded in places like Kogi State, these sporadic victories are quickly overshadowed by recurring mass killings elsewhere. It makes it difficult for citizens to perceive a tangible, nationwide improvement in safety.
Nigeria’s security crisis is no longer confined to isolated acts of terrorism or banditry; it has metastasized into a national emergency impacting every sector, from food production to governance and foreign relations. To reverse this dangerous tide, the government must invest strategically in rebuilding local intelligence networks, significantly improving the morale and equipment of security operatives, and courageously confronting the socioeconomic roots of the conflict.
Inaddition, citizens must be actively carried along through genuine transparency and engagement, moving past the era of empty communiqués and unfulfilled political promises.
The resurgence of bloodshed is more than a security challenge; it is a profound moral and existential test for the nation’s leadership. Every attack that remains unpunished weakens public faith and strengthens the forces of chaos. The time for strategic, sustained action is now, before Nigeria’s slow descent into anarchy becomes irreversible.