Rivers, Lagos worst hit as cult clashes claim 1,686 lives in five years

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‘Sola Richards

A peculiar memoir by SBM Intelligence has printed that no lower than 1,686 other folks had been killed in 909 separate incidents of gang-associated violence across Nigeria between January 2020 and March 2025, with Rivers and Lagos states accounting for the absolute best decision of fatalities.

The memoir, released on Tuesday, signifies that the South-South and Southwest geopolitical zones had been basically the most affected, pushed by longstanding cult rivalries and territorial disputes amongst groups similar to Vikings, Icelanders, Eiye, Aiye, Gloomy Axe, and Greenlanders.

Rivers Bid topped the fatality chart with 215 recorded deaths, followed by Lagos with 197 and Edo with 192. In total, the South-South build accounted for additional than 750 deaths, with incidents concentrated in Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa States.

The memoir links the excessive frequency of clashes in these areas to the dominance of rival cult groups. In Rivers Bid, the competitors between Viking, Icelanders, and Greenlander factions became cited as the necessary reason of routine violence.

Within the Southwest, over 491 deaths had been recorded, critically in Lagos and Ogun States, the build the Aiye and Eiye confraternities continue to clash. The Southeast build moreover experienced frequent violence, with 215 fatalities, critically in Anambra Bid, the build cultism has change into an increasing selection of linked to separatist actions.

Benue Bid, in the North-Central build, recorded 204 deaths attributed to local cult groups similar to Scavengers and Chain, most steadily working alongside communal disputes. Other affected states in the build encompass Kwara and Nasarawa.

Conversely, the memoir famed greatly lower cult-associated fatalities in the Northeast and Northwest. Blended, these areas recorded fewer than 30 deaths, as insecurity there would possibly per chance be basically dominated by terrorist groups and armed bandits, leaving much less build for venerable gang project.

“Between January 2020 and March 2025, information from SBM Intel’s Violence Tracker indicated that no fewer than 1,686 other folks had been killed in no lower than 909 incidents of gang violence across Nigeria,” the memoir acknowledged. It added that the everyday fatality rate per incident became roughly 1.85.

The year 2021 became acknowledged as basically the most lethal, with 377 deaths across 173 incidents. Analysts attributed the spike to worsening financial stipulations and political tensions following the COVID-19 pandemic. In distinction, 2022 seen a decline, with 228 deaths from 97 incidents, presumably attributable to centered crackdowns and immediate ceasefires amongst rival groups.

Alternatively, 2024 recorded the absolute best decision of reported incidents—273—nevertheless with fewer deaths than in 2021. The memoir suggested that this manufacture bigger would be due in allotment to expanded visibility by way of social media platforms bask in TikTok and Twitter, the build neighborhood-stage reporting has change into extra customary.

The memoir moreover highlighted that the financial downturn and unemployment have pushed extra young Nigerians into cult-associated activities, fueling the persistence of violence. With 2025 already showing indicators of surpassing 2022’s total inside of its first quarter, the style looks to be on the upward thrust without reference to intensified security efforts.

“This surge would be attributed to the democratisation of reporting by way of social media platforms bask in TikTok and Twitter, energetic incident accounts beyond venerable police releases.

“The dire financial snarl extra exacerbates the self-discipline, pushing extra youngsters into crime, with incident numbers for the first quarter of 2025 already on be aware to exceed 2022’s total.

“Whereas partial information for 2025 suggests a doubtless decline, presumably attributable to intensified security operations, the general patterns spotlight persistent instability, influenced by financial components, election cycles, and loads of security measures,” it added.
Amongst the states with excessive incident rates, Edo, Ogun, and Delta collectively recorded 490 clashes and 899 deaths, extra than half of of the nationwide totals. In Edo on my own, a violent outbreak between Gloomy Axe and Eiye people in December 2023 resulted in the demise of over 30 other folks inside of one week.

Anambra Bid followed with 128 reported deaths, many tied to each gang violence and separatist-associated unrest. Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa recorded 89 and 69 deaths, respectively, linked to overlapping militancy and cult clashes.

Irregular spikes in cult violence had been moreover reported in Osun (55 deaths) and Kwara (58 deaths), the build cult groups are believed to have expanded from neighbouring states.

States similar to Borno, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara reported miniature to no cult-associated deaths. The memoir attributed this to the incidence of insurgency and armed banditry in those areas, which most steadily displace or deter smaller gang operations.

SBM Intelligence famed that over 1,200 extra incidents had been excluded from the dataset for the rationale that identities of the groups eager would possibly per chance per chance well perchance now not be independently confirmed.