Nigeria recorded nearly 12,000 conflict-related deaths in 2025, a toll that exceeds fatalities reported in several major war zones in the Middle East, according to data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).

ACLED figures show that Nigeria logged 11,968 conflict fatalities in 2025. By comparison, Syria recorded 7,918 deaths, Yemen 2,902, Afghanistan 927, Iraq 574 and Libya 282 over the same period.

The data indicates that Nigeria alone accounted for more conflict-related deaths than Syria, Yemen and Iraq combined, underscoring the scale of insecurity in Africa’s most populous country.

Nigeria has faced overlapping security crises for over a decade. In the north-east, jihadist groups including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) continue to stage attacks despite sustained military operations. In the north-west and north-central regions, armed criminal gangs carry out raids and mass kidnappings, while communal violence between herders and farmers has fuelled further bloodshed.

The surge in fatalities comes amid heightened international scrutiny. On October 31, 2025, US President Donald Trump redesignated Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) under the US International Religious Freedom Act, a classification reserved for governments deemed to have engaged in or tolerated “particularly severe violations of religious freedom”.

In a statement announcing the decision, the US administration said the designation reflected “serious and ongoing concerns regarding religious freedom violations”. The move marked a return to the CPC list for Nigeria, which had previously been removed from the designation.

US Congressman Riley M. Moore, who later submitted a congressional report to the White House on insecurity in Nigeria, said the findings highlighted “horrific atrocities” and called for “concrete steps to impose accountability measures and counter extremist violence”.

Nigeria’s government has consistently rejected allegations of state-backed religious persecution, maintaining that insecurity affects citizens of all faiths and ethnic backgrounds. Officials have repeatedly said military operations are targeting criminal and insurgent groups irrespective of religion.

ACLED, which compiles conflict data from local reports, civil society sources and other open-source material, describes its fatality figures as estimates subject to revision. Nonetheless, the 2025 totals position Nigeria among the world’s deadliest conflict-affected countries this year, ahead of several states long associated with protracted war. (The Guardian)

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