Herdsmen, bandits have killed more Nigerians than Boko Haram in 2019- UN

...says at least 1,400 killed by bandits in 6 months

The United Nations (UN) has disclosed that at least 1,400 people have been killed by kidnappers and bandits in Nigeria in the last six months, which surpasses that of Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.

The UN Country Director, Edward Kallon who disclosed this in Makurdi at a meeting with Governor Samuel Ortom, said that killings by armed herdsmen and bandits outweigh killings by the Boko Haram.

“Pockets of conflicts and insecurity in the country at large especially where I am today (Benue), the herders and farmers crisis and also kidnapping and banditry. This is now really getting out of hand.

“The last statistics I saw from the government was that over 1,400 people were killed as a result of kidnapping and banditry since the elections.

“This is not a pleasant statistics,” he said.

Kallon also noted that institutional failure at all levels of governance was responsible for the killing of over 1,400 persons since March 2019, particularly by armed herdsmen, bandits, and kidnappings.

“We all know the statistics and the menace of herders/farmers problems. There were more people killed by the herders and farmers crisis than the Boko Haram crisis in Nigeria.

“When I said this in Abuja, it was not being welcomed but that was one statistics we have. These are all due to weak institutions and governance deficit at the federal, state and local level,” Kallon said.