No fewer than 1,686 people were killed in at least 909 documented incidents of gang violence across Nigeria between January 2020 and March 2025, according to a new report by SBM Intelligence.
The South-South and South-West regions were identified as the most affected zones, with Rivers, Lagos, and Edo states accounting for the highest number of fatalities.
The report, released on Tuesday, reveals that cult and gang rivalries continue to dominate the country’s security landscape. Rivers State recorded the highest death toll with 215 fatalities, followed by Lagos with 197 and Edo with 192. Cult groups such as Vikings, Icelanders, Greenlanders, Aiye, Eiye, and Black Axe were identified as the primary actors in the violence. “The South-South leads in fatalities with over 750 deaths, driven by intense feuds between Vikings, Icelanders, and Greenlanders, particularly in Rivers State,” the report stated.
In the South-West, 491 deaths were documented, largely stemming from repeated clashes between the Aiye and Eiye confraternities in Lagos and Ogun states. The South-East also witnessed significant gang activity, particularly in Anambra State, where over 215 deaths were linked to violent confrontations involving Viking and Aiye cult members, sometimes overlapping with separatist-related unrest.
The North-Central zone was not spared, with Benue State alone recording 204 deaths, largely attributed to cult groups such as Scavengers and Chain. These killings often occurred alongside ongoing communal violence in the region.
Meanwhile, the North-East and North-West experienced minimal traditional gang activity, accounting for fewer than 30 fatalities combined. The report noted that these regions remain under the influence of larger terror groups such as Boko Haram and armed bandits, which have displaced smaller gang operations.
The report also highlighted fluctuating patterns in gang-related violence during the five-year period. In 2021, the country recorded the highest number of deaths—377 across 173 incidents—believed to be driven by post-pandemic economic hardship and political instability.
In contrast, 2024 saw the most incidents (273), although with fewer fatalities per case. The surge in incidents was linked to the rise of social media reporting through platforms like TikTok and Twitter, which have widened access to documentation beyond official police accounts.
SBM Intelligence further noted that 645 incidents involving 1,286 deaths were excluded from the main dataset due to an inability to verify the groups responsible. The report attributes the persistent gang crisis to a mix of socioeconomic challenges, political cycles, and inconsistent law enforcement efforts. “Fluctuations in violence reflect a combination of economic distress, election cycles, and varying state-level security responses,” the report stated.
The states of Edo, Ogun, and Delta were highlighted as hotspots, collectively responsible for 490 incidents—more than half of the national total—and 899 deaths. In Edo State, a deadly confrontation in December 2023 between Black Axe and Eiye cult groups reportedly claimed over 30 lives in a single week. Anambra State followed closely with 128 deaths, while Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa reported 89 and 69 deaths respectively, due to a mix of cultism and militancy.
States like Osun (55 deaths) and Kwara (58 deaths) also recorded unexpected spikes in cult violence, while northern states such as Borno, Kebbi, and Sokoto reported negligible fatalities, due in large part to their different security dynamics dominated by terrorism and banditry.
Leave a comment