At least 964 officers, comprising 322 police officers, 642 soldiers, have been killed during several operations against criminal elements in the country in 2021, a geopolitical research firm, SB Morgen (SBM) Intelligence, has said.
In its report that examined kinetic campaign by the Nigerian military and security agencies in the period of Q4 2020 and Q3 2021on, which was released on Thursday, the SBM said operatives of other security agencies were also killed in attacks, comprising 11 personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and five personnel of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS).
Nigeria has been battling with various security challenges in the past 12 years, ranging from terrorisms in the North-east, banditry in the North-west, cattle rustling and farmer/herders clashes in the North-central, secessionist agitation in the South-east, and oil bunkering and piracy in the South-south geopolitical regions.
The Federal Government had deployed the military and other security agencies to tackle the menace, which has resulted in the death of hundreds of security personnel yearly.
The report also said the Department of State Services recorded the death of two personnel, the Nigeria Immigration Service also recorded two, while Federal Road Safety Corps recorded one casualty.
However, the report did not examine the number of civilian deaths within the period under review rather highlights deaths of non-state actors.
It said at least 1989 bandits have been killed in the period in 2021, while 973 members of Boko Haram and 290 cultists were killed in combatant attacks.
The report also said 129 vigilantes, 100 members of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and nine militants were also killed, during the period under review. This is in addition to 99 armed robbers, 88 kidnappers and nine smugglers.
