Over the past decade, Nigeria has faced significant security challenges, resulting in a high number of recorded violent deaths. From 2014-2024, there has been a fluctuation in the number of these violent fatalities, and the report below will analyse the yearly statistics, highlighting key trends and significant years. 

2014: The Deadliest

The year 2014 stands out as one of the most violent years in this decade, with a staggering 22,553 recorded deaths. This spike can be attributed to intensified conflicts, particularly involving the Boko Haram and allied insurgencies in the North-Eastern parts of the country. 

2015: A Slight Decline

2015 saw a noticeable decrease in the recorded number of violent deaths, totalling 18,787. While still alarmingly high, these numbers show a reduction from the previous year, indicating a slight improvement in combined security efforts and military response to insurgency. 

2016-2017: A Gradual Decrease

The trend of declining violent deaths continued through 2016 and into 2017, with the numbers falling to 11,951 and 10,583, respectively. These years show relative improvement in Nigeria’s overall security situation, although the violence remained a significant concern. 

2018-2019: Minor Fluctuations

In 2018, the number of violent deaths rose again slightly to 11,341, followed by a slight increase to 11,520 in 2019. These minor fluctuations show that although less severe, the violence was still persistent and cut across various regions of the country. 

2020-2021: Renewed Increase

In 2020 and 2021, Nigeria saw a resurgence of violent deaths, with numbers rising to 12,624 and 13,925 in these years, respectively. This upward trend in violence was majorly due to escalating conflicts between herders and farmers, banditry, ethno-religious violence, and insurgency. 

2022: Another Peak

In 2022, Nigeria witnessed another peak in violent deaths, similar to 2014. The numbers rose to 15,497, marking one of the highest death tolls in the past decade.

2023: A Sharp Decline

In 2023, there was a notable decline in violent deaths, with the numbers dropping to 11,856. This decline may be due to many factors, including successful military operations, improved security measures, and other interventions. 

2024: An Improvement

As of 2024, the total number of violent deaths recorded in Nigeria has drastically reduced to 4,648. This figure represents the lowest annual total recorded in this decade, although they only account for the first half of the year.  

*All data cited in this report are from https://www.nigeriawatch.org/index.php?urlaction=evtStat&type=default.