By Myke Uzendu and Chuks Oyema-Aziken
At least 1,165 people were killed in violent attacks in the North-West between January and August this year, according to a report.
It was revealed that no fewer than 113 people were equally kidnapped in the zone in the last eight months, a report by a non-governmental organisation, Nigeria Mourns, sttaed.
In its latest report, already published in Premium Times, the group, which claims that it tracks violent killings across the nation, reported that the cases in the North-West occured in seven states.
The group uses newspaper reports, police and family sources as sources for its findings.
They stated that Kaduna, Katsina and Zamfara states recorded the highest numbers of killings within the period.
The report listed the casualty figure for each of the seven states as follows: Kaduna, 468; Katsina, 376; Zamfara, 204; Sokoto, 96; Kano, 10; Jigawa,10 and Kebbi,1.
It stated that 1,068 persons were killed by suspected armed bandits, five by Boko Haram/ISWAP, 73 by armed herdsmen, six felled in isolated attacks, while 13 died through undisclosed extrajudicial killings.
The report also listed the monthly abductions in the region.
According to them, in January, there were 11 incidents; February, 21; March, 18; April, 8; May, 7; June, 14; July, 14 and August, 10.
Earlier reports by the organisation according to PREMIUM TIMES showed that 415 people were killed in July in violent crimes across Nigeria; 731 in June, and 356 in May.
Amidst all these, President Muhammadu Buhari in his address at this retreat held for cabinet members, admitted that his government needed to do more to address security challenges across the country.
“We have to address emergent cases of insecurity and insurgency in the country with innovative approaches such as “Operation Safe Corridor,” which de-radicalize, rehabilitate, and reintegrate willingly surrendered Boko Haram members into the larger society,” Buhari said on Tuesday.
The president listed North-West as areas where government’s war against insecurity is yielding the “desired” results”.
