NIGERIAN security officials bore a significant brunt of killings by non-state actors, as 138 policemen have been killed in the last eight months across the country.
This is according to data obtained from the Council on Foreign Relations’ Nigeria Security Tracker (NST), a website that tracks violent incidents related to political, economic, and social grievances directed at the state or other affiliated groups.
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The data covers January 1 to August 10, 2022.
The deaths resulted from the activities of unknown gunmen, Eastern Security Network (ESN), armed robbers, kidnappers, and security operatives.
The data showed that the killing of these policemen cut across states.
For instance, eight policemen were killed in a single incident on June 6, when bandits attacked a mining site in Niger State. Also killed at the scene were 34 soldiers.
In another incident on June 30, gunmen killed three police officers at a checkpoint in Enugu State.
Gunmen also attacked a police station in Anambra State in April and killed four policemen after setting the station ablaze.
In Ogominana, Kogi State, gunmen attacked a police station and killed three policemen.
Bandits also descended on Gatikawa in Kankara, Katsina State, and killed five police officers on July 20. Three civilians were also killed in the incident.
In February, gunmen on rampage shot three policemen dead at a checkpoint in Enugu State.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, armed robbers attacked a bullion van in February and killed three police officers.
A policeman attached to the Borno State police command shot and killed six of his colleagues at the police headquarters after killing his father-in-law. The incident took place in March.
It was gathered that the police sergeant had a misunderstanding with his wife, and when relations and neighbours tried to intervene, he did not listen.
Instead, the officer shot dead six of his colleagues and two others, including his father-in-law.
The states with the highest number of policemen killed within this period are Niger with 24, Enugu with 18, Anambra with 13, Imo 12, Borno and Kogi with nine each.
Others include Delta and Kastina with 7 each, Kebbi with 5, Ebonyi and Benue with 4, Cross River, Edo, Oyo, Taraba with 3 each, Jigawa, Rivers, Bayelsa and Ondo with 2 each, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Kwara, Lagos, Osun and the FCT with 1 each.
However, a total of 12 states did not record any death of a policeman within this period. The states are, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, Plateau and Sokoto.
Others are , Kano, Zamfara, Abia, Akwa Ibom , Ekiti and Ogun State.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance