For many Nigerian families, 2018 has become a nigtmare on account of deaths resulting from auto accidents and violent crimes. Just about 10 weeks into the new year, the country has lost 1,351 to violent deaths,according to Sunday Vanguard checks.
Last month, no fewer than 517 people died violently, across the country. In January, about 676 Nigerians were cut down through herdsmen and farmers clashes, sectarian crises, communal clashes, Boko Haram insurgency, cult clashes, kidnapping, and ritual killings, among others. The deaths are 176 more than the 500 recorded in January 2017.
The 1,351 deaths recorded since the beginning of 2018 exclude those who died from illness, childbirth, Lassa fever, etc.
The North-East remains the killing field with 591 deaths. It is followed by North-Central, 270; North-West, 193; South-West, 136; and South-South, 131. At the bottom of the list is South-East, 30. Borno State, the hotbed of the Book Haram insurgency, recorded the highest number of deaths with a figure of 361. Borno is followed by Benue, 163; and Borno’s north-eastern neighbours, Taraba (107) and Adamawa, which witnessed 103 violent deaths; Kaduna, 71; Rivers, 66; Plateau, 54; Zamfara, 45; Lagos, 45. States that also recorded huge deaths include Ondo, 39; Ogun, 35; Jigawa, 30; Kano, 27; Nasarawa, 22; Delta, 19; Anambra, 18; Kebbi, 18; Akwa Ibom, 16; Kogi, 14, and Cross River, 14. The rest are Oyo, 12; Bauchi, 11; Yobe, 9; Edo, 9; Bayelsa, 7; Kwara, 6; FCT Abuja, 6; Niger, 5; Enugu, 4; Imo, 4; Ebonyi, 3; Katsina, 2; Ekiti, 2; Abia, 1; and Osun, 1.
There were no reported violent deaths in Gombe and Sokoto. Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari says all hands are on deck to tame the monster of violence in the country. Buhari spoke in Taraba State, last week, when he visited to commiserate with the people of the state after violent attacks killed many resident there. He later visited Plateau State. The President continues his visit to victims of violent crimes across the country tomorrow when he heads to Benue State. By the same token, the Federal Government is intensifying efforts to ensure that it rescues, alive, all the 110 abducted students of Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi.
