Intersociety: 190,000+ Nigerians Killed, Over 131,000 Abducted Since 2009

The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law has said more than 190,000 Nigerians have lost their lives to banditry, insurgency, and related violence over the past 17 years.

In a new report, the group said 190,150 people were killed between July 2009 and March 2026, including 128,750 Christians and 61,400 moderate Muslims.

Its chairman, Emeka Umeagbalasi, said the figures were based on detailed tracking of violent incidents across the country.

He disclosed that at least 131,100 people were abducted within the period, noting that about 30,000 victims were killed in captivity during the peak of the insurgency between 2009 and 2014.

Umeagbalasi added that over 3,000 Igbo Christians were deliberately targeted and killed in northern Nigeria in the early years of the crisis.

Between 2015 and 2025, about 50,000 Christians were abducted, with 20,000 regaining freedom after ransom payments, while 2,500 were taken to foreign extremist camps.

The report also indicated that 6,000 victims escaped, 3,500 were forced into radical ideologies, and about 5,000 were killed while in captivity, with 10,000 still unaccounted for.

“In 2025 alone, an estimated 7,500 Christians were killed and 8,500 abducted,” he said.

He added that in the first 78 days of 2026, at least 1,050 Christians and 550 moderate Muslims were killed, while over 2,300 people were abducted.

The report cited recent attacks in Gwoza in Borno State, as well as incidents in Benue, Adamawa, Plateau, and Kaduna, including the killing of a Catholic priest and a pastor, Rev. Joshua Aliya.

Intersociety urged authorities to take decisive action to curb violence and safeguard citizens across the country.

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