Abuja — At least 1,796 people have been killed in boundary and communal clashes across Nigeria between January 2018 and August 2025, according to a new report by the Foundation for Partnership Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND).
The findings, drawn from media reports and independent monitoring, reveal a sharp escalation in communal violence, particularly in Southern Nigeria and the North Central region, with recent years witnessing a marked increase in fatalities.
Between 2018 and 2022, PIND recorded 676 deaths, while over 1,100 additional fatalities occurred between 2023 and mid-2025, signaling a disturbing rise in the scale and brutality of these disputes.
Hotspots: Cross River, Delta, Bayelsa Among Worst-Hit
The report highlights Cross River State as one of the epicenters of the crisis, with over 400 deaths recorded from communal clashes related to land and boundary disputes between January 2020 and December 2023.
In Delta and Bayelsa States, more than 650 fatalities were recorded during the same period. PIND emphasized that many of these violent outbreaks could have been avoided through improved conflict resolution mechanisms and proactive community engagement.
“Communal clashes, especially those involving government security forces, have been causes of lethal violence in Delta and Bayelsa,” the report stated.
The report pointed to the Okuama-Igbomotoru crisis as a flashpoint that underscored the growing risks associated with unresolved land disputes and the involvement of armed actors.
Major Incidents Across Nigeria
Numerous high-profile communal clashes across the country have made headlines in recent years, including:
- Agbudu, Kogi State (July 2020): A land rights dispute escalated into a mass shooting, killing 14 people, 13 from a single family.
- Oju, Benue State (June 2023): 14 people died in a fierce land conflict.
- Enugu State (August 2023): A clash between Oyofo and Awha communities over land ownership left four people dead and led to the arrest of 12 suspects.
- Anambra State (February 2023): A dispute between Omor and Anaku communities claimed six lives.
- Ebonyi State (April 2025): Renewed violence between Ndukwe and Okporojo communities resulted in six deaths, including that of a pregnant woman.
- Ondo State (January 2025): Five people were killed and 10 others injured in a violent confrontation between Akure and Idanre communities.
- Benue State (March 2025): The long-running Bonta-Ukpute conflict flared again, with reports indicating 20 fatalities.
- Additional incidents in Osun, Anambra, and other states resulted in scattered but deadly confrontations.
Call for Conflict Prevention and Dialogue
PIND’s report calls for urgent interventions by both federal and state governments, including the establishment of early warning systems, community-based conflict resolution frameworks, and clearer boundary demarcations to prevent future bloodshed.
As Nigeria continues to face mounting security challenges, the unchecked rise in communal and boundary clashes poses a serious threat to national stability, rural development, and inter-community relations.
