Nigeria’s struggle with gang violence between January 2020 and March 2025 painted a grim picture, with at least 1,686 lives lost across 909 recorded incidents. The South-South and South-West regions emerged as the epicenters of this violence, highlighting a disturbing trend of localized conflicts fueled by established rivalries between various cult and gang groups. The data indicates a concerning average of nearly two fatalities per incident, showcasing the lethal nature of these clashes. While the report acknowledges the exclusion of a significant number of incidents due to the inability to identify the gangs involved, the available data still provides a stark illustration of the widespread nature of gang violence across Nigeria.
The geographic distribution of gang violence reveals a complex pattern. Rivers State, Lagos State, and Edo State, notorious for their history of cult and gang activities, tragically led the fatality count. The South-South region, with Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa at its core, bore the brunt of the violence, accounting for over 750 deaths, largely attributed to fierce rivalries between groups like the Vikings, Icelanders, and Greenlanders. The South-West, with Lagos and Ogun as primary hotspots, witnessed over 491 fatalities, primarily driven by clashes between the Aiye and Eiye confraternities. These figures underscore the deeply entrenched nature of these rivalries and the devastating impact they have on local communities.
Beyond the South-South and South-West, other regions experienced significant levels of gang violence, albeit on a smaller scale. The South-East, particularly Anambra State, grappled with over 215 deaths linked to rising Viking and Aiye cult activities, often intertwined with broader separatist tensions in the region. The North-Central region, especially Benue State, recorded over 204 deaths, with groups like the Scavengers and Chain operating within a context of existing communal clashes. The contrast with the North-East and North-West, which experienced minimal gang-related activity, is notable. This difference is attributed to the dominance of larger terrorist organizations like Boko Haram and bandit groups, which overshadowed traditional gang operations in these regions.
The report’s analysis of the temporal trends in gang violence reveals fluctuations throughout the reviewed period. 2021 marked a peak in fatalities (377), potentially linked to post-COVID economic hardship and political instability. A subsequent decline in 2022, likely due to government crackdowns or temporary gang truces, was followed by a surge in incidents in 2024, albeit with a lower fatality rate per incident. This increase is possibly attributed to increased reporting through social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter, broadening the sources of information beyond traditional police reports. The continued dire economic situation is identified as a driving factor pushing more young people towards crime, with early 2025 figures suggesting a potential continuation of this trend.
Further breakdown of the data highlights the concentration of violence in specific states. Edo, Ogun, and Delta states collectively accounted for a disproportionate share of both incidents and fatalities, representing 54% and 53.3% of the national totals, respectively. A single clash in Edo State in late December 2023 reportedly claimed over 30 lives, emphasizing the potential for sudden escalations of violence. Anambra State, with 128 fatalities, experienced escalating gang activity exacerbated by separatist-linked violence. Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa, grappling with militancy and cult wars, also contributed significantly to the overall death toll.
The report also sheds light on unexpected spikes in gang violence in states like Osun and Kwara, likely due to the expansion of cult groups from neighboring states. This highlights the interconnectedness of gang activity across regional boundaries. Conversely, states like Borno, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara, with their security landscape dominated by terrorism and banditry, reported minimal to no gang-related fatalities. This reinforces the observation that the presence of larger, more organized violent groups can suppress the activities of traditional gangs. Overall, the report paints a complex picture of gang violence in Nigeria, shaped by a multitude of factors, including regional rivalries, economic hardship, political instability, and the influence of larger armed groups.
