Nigeria’s security architecture is reeling under sustained assaults, as no fewer than 50 security operatives were killed in separate attacks across the country within the month of September alone.
From Benue to Kogi, Edo, Zamfara and Borno States, personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), vigilantes, and state-backed community guards have come under heavy attacks by criminal elements — many of which remain underreported.
The latest bloodbath occurred on Friday, September 19, when suspected herdsmen and local militias ambushed a joint security team at Agu Center, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, killing at least 11 officers, including members of the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards. Security sources revealed that the attackers may have been aided by an informant within the security formation.
That incident raised the tally of operatives killed in Benue alone in the past year to over 80, with Governor Hyacinth Alia earlier confirming that 76 personnel had been killed in similar attacks before the latest ambush.
Just three days later, gunmen struck in Kogi State, killing five police officers in Yagba East and Lokoja LGAs. This followed another September 10 attack in Egbe, near the Kwara boundary, where three officers were gunned down.
Zamfara State also witnessed tragedy on the same day as the Kogi attacks, when terrorists ambushed soldiers on patrol in Gusau, leaving five dead. A separate incident in Borno’s Banki area on September 18 saw two soldiers killed after terrorists raided a military barracks.
Edo State was not spared. On September 5, eight NSCDC operatives attached to BUA Cement Factory in Okpella were murdered by suspected kidnappers. Barely 10 days later, another operative was ambushed and killed along the Yantumaki–Danmusa Road in Katsina State.
Reports indicate that between January 2023 and October 2024, at least 229 police personnel were killed nationwide.
Security experts say infiltration and internal sabotage remain the greatest threats. “You can’t fight your enemies successfully when people around you are collaborating with them,” warned Mr. Abayomi Oyelade, a security analyst. He stressed that some compromised operatives leak operational details to bandits, undermining counter-terror operations.
Oyelade further recommended disabling telecom networks during planned raids to cut off criminal communications, insisting that “once you cripple their ability to communicate, you have defeated them.”
Similarly, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, urged the Federal Government to deploy modern surveillance technologies such as drones and CCTV, while also improving welfare packages for security personnel.
Stakeholders warn that unless the infiltration is addressed and technological intelligence tools fully deployed, Nigeria’s security crisis could persist — with operatives bearing the heaviest brunt.
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