At least 186 security personnel in the country have paid the ultimate price while performing their responsibilities.
Personnel from the military, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, and the Nigeria Police Force are among the security operatives.
The numbers were compiled from news articles published between January and September 2023.
Zamfara, Niger, Borno, Delta, Imo, Anambra, Benue, and Enugu states, among others, have had the most incidences.
One of the instances was the murder of three police officers at the Ebonyi-Enugu border post on January 28, 2023.
A Divisional Police Officer and two policemen were slain in new herders’ assaults on Benue State villages on January 31.
On February 9, militants attacked and murdered four military soldiers in Delta State. On February 11, bandits assassinated a Divisional Police Officer and four police officers in Niger State.
On February 18, attackers set fire to a Police Area Command in Anambra State, killing three police officers.
On March 15, four troops were among ten persons slain by bandits in Niger towns.
On March 18, terrorists assassinated 51 vigilante members in Zamfara. On May 5, three police officers were slain by gunmen in Anambra.
In Imo State, gunmen killed eight soldiers, police officers, and others in September.
In response to the occurrences, security expert Jackson Ojo advised security personnel to step up their efforts to apprehend the offenders.
He was concerned that if nothing was done, non-state actors would be emboldened to commit more crimes and launch more assaults.
“The gruesome murder of our security agents has not only become rampant but also the norm. Our security agencies should go after the perpetrators and show them the stuff they are made up of.
“This can’t happen in America; you can’t do this at the spate we have here without apprehending the culprits. Our security agents must start doing that to send a warning signal to non-state actors.
“This barbaric act without the arrest of the perpetrators is emboldening them. They must come out brutal against non-state actors. As it is, no strategy put in place by security agencies can scare them if action is not taken to curb things like this,” Ojo said.
cc: Punch Ng
