Abduction In Nigeria Rises By 169% – US Institute’s Report

The level of insecurity leading to abduction Nigeria recorded an increase of 169 per cent increase between 2019 and 2020, the United States Institute of Peace has stated.

It specifically stated that when measured by the death toll, Nigeria seems beset by violence.

The Report titled; ‘Six Alternative Ways to Measure Peace in Nigeria’, released last week, is part of the United States Institute for Peace’s ongoing work to understand how Nigerians view peace.

The report reads in part; “In light of Nigeria’s many security challenges, numerous vigilante or community self-defense groups have sprung up around the country”.

This is as the Report also states that many Nigerians have developed a strong belief in vigilante or community self-defence groups to protect them from the rising insecurity in the country.

The US Institute of Peace specifically attributed the degenerating development to the poor performance of the country’s security agencies.

The Report states that as a result, the situation has sent Nigerians across the states and genders, to look for alternatives protective arrangement such as vigilante groups without taking into consideration certain disadvantages.

It further states; “While many observers have concerns about the accountability and discipline of these vigilantes and there is limited oversight over their activities, Nigerians who participated in this research expressed strong support for vigilante groups.

“More than eight in 10 respondents in all the surveyed states agreed that vigilantes make a positive contribution to security in Nigeria,” it states.

The USIP Report further states; “Less than one in 10 respondents agreed that vigilantes make a negative contribution to security in Nigeria.

“The poor performance of the state’s security actors has sent Nigerians, across all states and genders, to look for alternatives such as vigilantes, despite the drawbacks.”

The USIP’s Report also stated that by some accounts, the COVID-19 pandemic made experiences of violence even more common.