Banditry in Nigeria escalates with rising attacks and casualties
Widespread criminal activity involving kidnapping, robbery and other violence has surged in Nigeria, with a sharp increase in attacks reported in 2025.
Banditry is widespread in Nigeria. It is defined as a loose collection of various criminal groups involved in kidnap‑for‑ransom, armed robbery, cattle rustling, rape and sexual violence, pillage and attacks on traders, farmers and travellers, particularly in the country’s northwest region.
In 2024, 256 attacks and 1,585 deaths were recorded, according to inkl.com. In 2025 alone, 599 attacks were reported, with 2,742 casualties, also reported by inkl.com, indicating a sharp increase.
Inkl.com reported that banditry has extended its reach to the northwest and southwest of Nigeria and that the criminal activity has caused deaths, displacement, destruction of property and widespread fear.
Allafrica reported a local observation that “a month will not go by without someone being killed in this village.”
The study cited by inkl.com was conducted by a sociologist who investigated the national security threat; it unpacks the method and timing of attacks and the identities of the bandits.
This account was written only from facts that survived Augur's
corroboration pass — 2 corroborated across opposed news blocs,
0 contested (attributed to both sides), 7
single-source (attributed). Nothing was added; no significance was inferred.
Model Qwen3-Next-80B-A3B-Instruct.
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