For the month of September, figures gathered from reported violent attacks showed that 280 persons’ were kidnapped across the six geopolitical zones of the country, and a total of 149 persons killed.
The figures, sourced from the reports of major news platforms and Nigeria Security Tracker (NST), shows that the north-west is top on the list with 143 abductees, 36 in the south-west; 34 in the north-central; 19 in the south-south and 4 in the south-east.
Analysis of the date also revealed that out of the 187 abducted in the north-west zone, 122 (representing 65.2%) of them were from Kaduna state.
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This showed a continuous rise in abductions in Kaduna when compared to August when the total number of abductions — 53 persons — in the zone were from Kaduna state.
Aside from Kaduna, Zamfara — another north-western state — had 52 persons abducted, while Katsina had 13.
For other states: Ondo, 32; Niger, 25; Rivers, 17; Plateau, 5; Imo, 4; Benue and Ekiti, 3 each; while Akwa Ibom, Delta, Kogi and Ogun had one each.
Out of the 149 killed, 122 were armless civilians, 15 police officers, 9 soldiers, a customs officer, a security guard and an officer of the Nigerian Security & Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Further checks on the data revealed that 6 of the 15 police officers were murdered in Anambra, a south-eastern state with records of attacks on security operatives and their facilities. The data also includes a divisional crime officer (DCO) in Oyo and a police inspector killed by bandits in Katsina.
Out of the total recorded killings for the month in focus, the north-central zone tops the chart with 56 fatalities, north-west, 40; south-east; 25, south-south, 15; south-west, 7; and north-east 6.