6,800 Nigerians killed in first half of 2025 – Expert

• Stakeholders in security call for general overhaul of security architecture

By Christopher Oji

Stakeholders in security have called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to as a matter of urgency, engage in general overhaul of security architecture in the country.

However, a private security operator, who joined the call for general overhaul of security architecture, Mustapha Kazeem Lusty, said the demand became necessary as
Over 6,800 Nigerians were killed in the first half of 2025, a figure ,he said ,highlighted the country’s worsening security crisis.

Lusty ,CEO , Kontz Engineering , who spoke while delivering the keynote address at the 2025 Annual Lecture and Awards Ceremony of the Crime Reporters Association of Nigeria (CRAN), in Ikeja, Lagos , said it was no longer business as usual,but a serious emergency that must be addressed holistically without delay.

In the lecture,titled “Harnessing Technological Innovations for Crime Prevention and Control in Nigeria,” Lusty’s presentation called for a complete overhaul of the nation’s security architecture through the deployment of advanced technological systems capable of detecting, preventing, and disrupting crime in real time.

Addressing security stakeholders, including representatives of the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the military and other stakeholders, Lusty warned that traditional approaches were no longer sufficient.

He cited additional statistics: over 5,400 people abducted in the same period, and in March 2025 alone, 179 deaths, 115 injuries, and 217 kidnappings were recorded within just two weeks.

“The Nigeria Violent Conflict Database shows that banditry accounted for nearly 75% of all kidnapping victims in 2024, while National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data records 51.9 million criminal incidents between 2023 and 2024, with ransom payments costing an estimated N2.2 trillion.”

Lusty said the rising death toll and insecurity had eroded public trust in security institutions, pushing citizens toward self-help. To reverse the trend, he proposed a six-step framework, including: AI-powered early warning systems, a National Intelligent Vision Centre, encrypted community reporting platforms, deployment of surveillance drones and body-worn cameras, secure communication networks, and strengthened digital financial monitoring.

He stressed that localisation of technology, stronger forensic and cyber capabilities, joint intelligence dashboards, and transparent public security reporting were essential for sustainable reform.

While acknowledging that technology alone cannot solve the root causes of insecurity, Lusty emphasised that combining innovation with strong institutions, community engagement, and ethical governance could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping.

On his own ,security expert, Bone Efoziem called for increased technological measures to monitor and secure Nigeria’s porous land, air, and sea borders.

Efoziem emphasized that most security threats entering Nigeria, ranging from arms smuggling to insurgency, come through unmonitored land routes rather than official airports or seaports.

He noted that many villages along the borders serve as informal entry points, making it difficult for conventional border security to function effectively.

“Almost every village around the border is a potential route into the country,” Efoziem said. “Even security officers on ground cannot monitor all these points effectively. This is where technology, like drones and remote monitoring systems, becomes essential.”

He stressed that current equipment and manpower are insufficient to tackle insurgents and armed criminals operating along the borders.

Highlighting the limitations, Efoziem noted that soldiers often face better-equipped insurgents with night vision goggles and heavier weaponry, while border surveillance remains largely manual.

The expert called for redefining border security strategies and integrating technology to detect illegal movements, track suspicious activities, and enable rapid intervention.

He also urged community engagement platforms to allow Nigerians to anonymously report cross-border threats, improving real-time intelligence collection.

“Strengthening border security with technology is critical to reducing the flow of arms, drugs, and criminals into Nigeria,” Efoziem said, stressing that proactive monitoring is the only sustainable solution to the nation’s border challenges.”