IN DETAIL: 115 killed, 131 kidnapped in attacks across Nigeria in August

In the month of August, figures gathered from reported violent attacks showed that 115 persons were killed in Nigeria. 

The figures, sourced from reports from major news platforms, were collated by TheCable Index, the data and research arm of TheCable.

The 115 persons killed included 89 civilians, eight police officers — including an assistant inspector-general of police (AIG), eight vigilantes, seven security guards, two soldiers, and one officer of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

Out of the total recorded killings of civilians in the month of August, the north-central topped the list with 30 fatalities; north-east, 21; south-east, 14; south-west, 11; south-south, seven; while six were recorded in the north-west.

This means an average of three civilians were killed daily during the month of August.

On a state-by-state basis of civilian killings, Taraba was top of the list with 17 fatalities; Plateau, 15; Imo, nine; Benue, six, while there were four each in Kogi and Lagos.

Ebonyi, Gombe, Niger, Osun, Rivers, and Oyo had three deaths each, while two people were killed in Cross River, Kaduna and Katsina, respectively.

Anambra, Bayelsa, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, Jigawa, Kwara, Nasarawa, Yobe, and Zamfara each recorded one fatality.  

With 15 persons killed on August 1, an analysis by TheCable Index showed that major news platforms in Nigeria reported the highest number of killings ever in August on that day.

131 PERSONS KIDNAPPED

For the same month, a total of 131 persons were kidnapped across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

The north-west is top on the list with 53 abductees; 44 in the south-south; 17 people were kidnapped in the north-central — including 14 Indian nationals abducted in Kogi; six in the south-east and south-west, respectively, while the north-east recorded five abductions.

Checks by TheCable Index showed that the figure on abductions recorded in the north-west was from Kaduna state, while out of the 12 states with kidnapping incidents, Edo recorded 43 victims; six in Imo; Ondo and Borno had four each; Kwara, two; while Delta, Ekiti, Taraba, Ogun, and Nasarawa have one each.