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Time To End Herders’ Killings In Nigeria Is Now
The persistent conflict between herders and farming communities in Nigeria has resulted in the loss of thousands of lives over the past decade. This crisis has primarily affected the Middle Belt and Northern regions, but it is now spreading into the South.
The urgency to end the herder-related killings cannot be overstated. It is not only a humanitarian imperative but also essential for Nigeria’s national stability and economic development.
According to the United Nations, desertification affects more than 60% of Nigeria’s land area, forcing pastoralists primarily Fulani herders to migrate south- ward in search of pasture. This migration often leads to clashes with farming communities over land and resources. With Nigeria’s population currently exceeding 220 mil- lion and projected to double by 2050, competition for land and resources will only intensify.
Weak state institutions, the proliferation of small arms, ethnic and religious tensions, and the failure of law enforcement to hold perpetrators accountable have all exacerbated the crisis. A 2022 Small Arms Survey estimated that Time To End Herders’ Killings In Nigeria Is Now over 6 million small arms are in civilian hands in Nigeria, further fueling the violence.
The killings have devastated rural communities. Nigerians in the diaspora, many of whom have roots in the affected areas, are heartbroken as they witness their kinsmen slaughtered by rampaging criminals and armed herd- ers in states such as Benue, Plateau, and Enugu. Despite repeated government assurances, there appears to be little real progress in addressing the insecurity.
According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), over 8,000 people have been killed in herder-farmer related violence between 2011 and 2023. In 2018 alone, more than 1,600 lives were lost in such clashes surpassing the number of deaths caused by Boko Ha- ram that year.
A report by the SBM intelligence titled “A National Emergency: The Escalating Crisis of Pastoral Violence in Nigeria, reads in part:
The geographical pattern of pastoral violence in Nigeria paints a troubling picture of relentless expansion. Between 2019 and 2025, the North-Central zone remained the most severely affected region, with Benue State enduring over 200 documented attacks, cementng its grim reputation as the epicenter of the crisis.”
“Neighbor- ing Plateau State followed closely with 150 incidents. Their shared border has transformed into a deadly conflict zone, exemplified by the May 2023 massacre in Mangu, which left 80 people dead, followed seven months later by the Christmas Eve atrocity in Bokkos, which claimed 140 lives.”
“The violence spread out- ward along predictable path- ways. Kaduna in the North- west recorded concerning numbers of attacks, while Adamawa in the Northeast displayed increasing vulnerability.”
The International Crisis Group reports that the violence has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, while a 2020 World Bank report estimated that Nigeria loses $13.7 billion annually due to agricultural disruptions caused by the conflict.
Despite widespread media coverage and public outcry, the Nigerian government has been slow and ineffective in addressing the crisis. Be- yond a lack of accountability, the country’s security forces are overstretched. With a police-to-citizen ratio of ap- proximately 1:540—below the UN’s recommended 1:450— there is an urgent need to strengthen local policing. Establishing mobile courts in conflict-prone areas could also enhance justice delivery and deter future violence.
Political neutrality is critical in resolving this crisis. The weaponization of ethnic identities and politicization of security issues only worsen the situation. National unity and strong political will are essential.
The killings must stop. Nigeria cannot continue to lose lives, homes, and futures to a crisis that is both prevent- able and solvable. With the right mix of policy, enforcement, empathy, and account- ability, peace is achievable. The cost of inaction is sim- ply too high.
Even remittances from Nigerians abroad thrive better in a stable environment. The Nigerian government must demonstrate that it is ready and able to fulfill its primary responsibility: protecting the lives and property of its citizens. The time to act is now for the sake of unity, stability, and the future of Nigeria.
CARICOM Calls for Nominations for 2025 Women, Youth Energy Awards
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has announced the opening of nominations for the 2025 editions of the Women in Sustainable Energy Awards (WISE) and the Sustainable Energy Youth Awards (SEYA), aimed at celebrating excellence, innovation, and inclusivity in the energy sector.
In a statement, the CARICOM Secretariat said nominations will remain open until 31 August 2025, urging citizens and residents across the region to either apply or nominate deserving peers, mentors or mentees.
The awards, organised in partnership with the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE), are designed to spotlight the roles of women and youth as professionals, entrepreneurs, policy advocates and community champions driving the clean energy transition.
According to CARICOM, WISE seeks to honour women who have made outstanding contributions at community, national, regional, or international levels. Submissions will be assessed in four categories: Business/Entrepreneurship; Social Impact, Community and Advocacy; Policy and Regulations; and Utilities and Industry.
On the other hand, SEYA focuses on individuals between 16 and 35 years old, recognising young innovators and advocates whose work reflects creativity, leadership, and commitment to the sustainable energy movement across public, private, and civil society sectors.
Both awards will be presented at the 9th Caribbean Sustainable Energy Forum (CSEF IX) scheduled to hold in Grenada from 28 to 30 October 2025.
The Secretariat noted that the initiative also seeks to promote gender diversity and intergenerational leadership as critical elements for the success of the region’s energy transition agenda.
Nigeria Deports 50 Chinese, Dozens of Others in Crackdown on Cybercrime Syndicate
Nigeria has deported dozens of foreigners, including 50 Chinese nationals, in a sweeping crackdown on what authorities described as one of the country’s “largest foreign-led cybercrime syndicates.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which coordinated the operation, said the deportations followed convictions for offences bordering on cyberterrorism and internet fraud.
“This brings the total number of repatriated convicted foreign nationals to 102 in the ongoing exercise,” the Commission announced in a statement.
The deportees were part of 192 suspects arrested in Lagos last Friday during a sting operation code-named Eagle Flush.
According to the EFCC, actionable intelligence had linked the suspects to a sprawling cybercrime ring operating across Nigerian cities.
Of those arrested, 148 were Chinese nationals, while the others included citizens of the Philippines and several West African countries.
Photos released on Thursday by the EFCC showed the foreigners lined up at an airport, wearing facemasks and clutching their luggage, moments before boarding flights back to their home countries. The agency added that “further deportations are scheduled in the coming days.”
This marks the second major clampdown on foreign cybercriminals in less than a year. In December last year, nearly 800 suspects — including 148 Chinese and 40 Filipinos — were arrested in connection with organised online romance scams and fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes.
Nigeria has long battled the scourge of cybercrime, popularly associated with so-called Yahoo Boys.
While local syndicates remain widespread, the involvement of foreign nationals has added a new layer to the country’s cyber-fraud landscape.
The EFCC links the rising wave of internet crime to youth unemployment, a weak regulatory environment and the lure of quick wealth.
Experts have also warned that the growing sophistication of these schemes poses a major risk to Nigeria’s digital economy.
Global tech giants have also waded into the fight. Last year, Meta — owners of Instagram and Facebook — removed thousands of Nigerian-linked accounts and more than 5,700 Facebook groups tied to sextortion and online scam networks.
Despite sustained enforcement, the Commission maintains that international collaboration remains key to breaking up transnational cybercrime networks.
Grief, Fear and Silence as Rebels Kill 140 in Eastern DR Congo
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused M23 rebels of killing at least 140 people, including women and children, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) last month, describing it as one of the worst atrocities since the group resurfaced in late 2021.
The rights group, in a report released Wednesday, said the killings took place between July 10 and 30 in at least 14 villages near the Virunga National Park in Rutshuru territory.
Witnesses alleged that Rwanda-backed fighters used machetes and gunfire to attack residents, largely from the Hutu ethnic group, during an offensive against the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR).
Accounts from survivors detailed harrowing scenes. One man said he lost five members of his family on July 11 in Katanga area.
A woman recounted how rebels killed her husband with a machete before forcing about 70 women and children to sit along a riverbank, where they were shot at.
Another survivor told HRW he watched helplessly as his wife and four young children were murdered.
Victims’ families were reportedly ordered to bury corpses in nearby fields or leave them exposed, while several bodies were dumped into the Rutshuru River.
While HRW estimates at least 140 people were killed, it warned the death toll may exceed 300, citing corroborating findings by the United Nations earlier this month.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights had reported that the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) backed the M23 in killings of at least 319 civilians across four villages in Rutshuru between July 9 and 21.
M23 has denied the allegations, accusing HRW of falsifying evidence and serving as “an instrument of propaganda” for the Congolese government. Its political allies in the AFC opposition bloc also dismissed the report as “hearsay” and “deceptively interpreted imagery.”
Rwanda, for its part, rejected the UN and HRW reports, insisting that it has no control over the rebels.
“The M23 is not Rwanda-controlled, and these questions should be raised with them,” Kigali said in a statement, warning that “sensational allegations” risk undermining peace efforts.
Fighting in eastern DRC escalated in January after M23 captured swathes of territory, including areas around Goma, the provincial capital.
The conflict has forced hundreds of thousands from their homes and left thousands dead, despite peace initiatives led by the United States and Qatar.
Last month, Kinshasa and the M23 signed a ceasefire agreement in Doha. But the truce faltered after the rebels pulled out of talks, accusing the government of reneging on its commitments. The Congolese army has also accused the M23 of fresh violations.
HRW has urged the UN Security Council, the European Union and partner governments to condemn the atrocities, impose sanctions, and ensure the arrest and prosecution of those responsible.
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