By MIKE ODEH

According to the Nigerian military, troops killed 6,260 terrorists across the entire country in a two-year period, in what the Defence Headquarters described as sustained counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations nationwide.

However, between May 2023 and May 2025 (two years of President Tinubu’s administration), at least 6,896 people were killed in Fulani militia attacks in Benue State alone, according to verified data compiled by Amnesty International.

This startling contrast reveals a grim reality: Fulani terrorists killed more civilians in a single Nigerian state than the entire number of multifarious terrorists the military managed to eliminate nationwide over the same time frame.

US-based attorney and international human rights advocate Emmanuel Ogebe described this as a damning indictment of Nigeria’s security performance.

“If terrorists can kill more people in Benue State alone than the total number of terrorists the entire Nigerian military has killed across the nation in two years, then we are not winning the war. In fact, we are losing the war,” said Ogebe.

He added: “These numbers are not just statistics—they are human lives. They reveal the imbalance between state action and terrorist aggression. If the state cannot protect its citizens in one state better than it can fight across the country, then we have a catastrophic failure of national defense.”

A Lopsided War

Benue State, located in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, has long been a frontline in deadly attacks attributed to Fulani militia groups, who have targeted largely Christian farming communities. These attacks, often involving village raids, arson, and mass killings, have displaced millions over a decade.

The data suggests that the violence in Benue is not simply a local security issue but a national emergency. Despite increased military deployments and presidential directives, the scale o’ destruction in Benue outpaces the national counteroffensive.

“How can we say we’re making progress when one group of non-state actors in one state has outkilled the entire Nigerian Army’s anti-terror effort nationwide?” Ogebe asked. “That is a strategic failure. Or to quote a failed prior regime, we’ve been ‘technically defeated.’

Let’s be clear, we’re talking about civilian casualties of terrorism versus the number of terrorists foot soldiers killed.

For illustration look at last week’s Yelewata massacre.

Two policemen were killed, 200 Benue villagers were killed and one Fulani attacker died. Based on those numbers, the war Isn’t going well especially when you consider these fatalities are comparable to the full-fledged aerial war currently ongoing between two nations Israel and Iran.

Since the same Friday of the Yelewata massacre, 24 Israelis have been killed by Iranian missile attacks. 224 Iranians have been killed by Israeli plane bombardment.

Not only is the one night fatality in the single Benue state attack equal to the one week war between two nations but Israel’s casualty is 10% of Iran’s showing clearly who has the military advantage. The terrorists’ casualty in the Yelewata massacre was less than 0.1% and Nigeria 99.9%!”

Nigeria’s Failing Counter-Terror Efforts

Ogebe called on the international community to take notice and pressure the Nigerian government to address what he described as a genocidal campaign against indigenous communities in the Middle Belt.

“Nigeria’s current approach is not working. The body count proves it. We need accountability, international oversight, and a clear shift in strategy. Otherwise, this will only get worse. Calling a foreign armed invasion and obliteration of your people a “clash” is waging psychological warfare and self-sabotaging yourself.”

The figures provide a sobering insight into Nigeria’s worsening internal conflict. They show that while military forces continue to conduct operations in the North-East, North-West, and other conflict zones, one of the most deadly threats to human life in Nigeria remains unabated and underreported: the targeted mass killings in Benue and surrounding states.

According to Stephanos Foundation Security Watch

20th June 2025 other recent attacks include:

1. Plateau State;

• Bassa Local Government Area- 2 killed.

• Bokkos Local Government Area – attacked on the night of Thursday, 19th June 2025. 10 persons killed.

• Mangu Local Government Area – attacked on the afternoon of Thursday, 19th June, 2025. 6 persons killed.

2. Benue State

• Makurdi Local Government Area – Akundu-Tuough community attacked in the early hours of Thursday, June 12th, 2025. 5 people killed

• Apa Local Government Area – Edikwu’G’Icho community attacked in the afternoon of Monday, 9th June 2025. 3 persons killed

• Agatu Local Government Area - Bus attacked on the evening of Monday, June 9th, 2025. Driver killed

3. Kaduna State

• Kajuru Local Government Area – attacked on the morning of Sunday, 9th June, 2025. 1 person killed and 8 abducted.

4. Imo State

• Oguta Local Government Area – attacked on Monday, 11th June, 2025. Multiple persons killed.

5. Enugu State

• Isi-Uzo Local Government Area – attacked on Sunday, 15th June, 2025. 4 persons killed.

6. Katsina State

• Kankara Local Government Area – attacked on the evening of Thursday, 12th June 2025. 7 residents killed and many others abducted.

7. Niger State

• Kontagora Local Government Area – attacked on the evening of Thursday, 12th June, 2025. 9 persons kidnapped. 1 vigilante killed during rescue.

“No one can objectively look at this data and conclude that things are going well for Nigeria. No wonder terrorists released a video saying they have successfully infiltrated the entire country and are fully ready for war. We must do better in the face of a potent existential threat!”