A new report by Global Rights Nigeria has revealed that  no fewer than 1,141 civilians and 275 security agents were killed between January and April — totalling 1,416, due to the increasing spate of insecurity in the country.

These are unrelated to deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging almost all the 36 states of the country.

Among the 275 security operatives killed in the first quarter, 219 were soldiers, 43 were police officers, eight were naval officers, three were customs officers and two were of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

“Within the first four months of 2020, at least 1,416 lives have been lost to violent killings in Nigeria. Yet, Nigeria is not at war,” Global Rights said in the report.

The report titled “Mass Atrocities Casualties Tracking 2020” attributed the majority of civilian casualties to banditry in the Northern part, followed by the Boko Haram insurgency or Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) attacks.

Other sources of violent death include cult clashes, herdsmen attacks, extra-judicial killings, communal clashes, political violence, pirate attacks, mob action and isolated deaths.

Insurgency-ravaged Borno State in the North-east ranked top among states with the highest number of casualties, followed by Kaduna, Katsina and Plateau states while Kwara and Bauchi recorded the least casualties.

Further breakdown of the trend of killings revealed 342 deaths in Borno – the highest in Northeast, 72 in Yobe, 34 in Taraba, 21 in Adamawa and Bauchi (1) .

Kaduna State recorded the highest deaths in Northwest with 198, followed by Katsina (139), Zamfara (77), Sokoto (22) , Kano (10) While Jigawa recorded the least in the region—3.

In North Central, Plateau, which is the hotpot of ethnic conflicts, has the highest casualties in the region with 92 deaths, followed by the banditry-ravaging Niger State with 90 deaths. Others include: 48 deaths in Kogi, 19 in Benue, four in Nasarawa with Kwara recording the least in the region—one death.

Topping the list in the South-south is Delta State with 57 deaths, followed by Edo (25), Rivers (24), Bayelsa (19), Cross River (12) and Akwa Ibom (five).

In Southwest, Ondo and Lagos states recorded 15 and 14 deaths respectively. Ogun recorded eight deaths, then Ekiti (five), Oyo (four) and Osun (three).

Southeastern states with casualty figures are Anambra State (18), Abia (12), Ebonyi(11) and Imo (four).

According to the report, banditry/pillage claimed the highest number of deaths –776; Boko Haram/ISWAP killed 342; cult clashes claimed 69 lives; herdsmen atrocities killed 58; followed by 56 cases of extra-judicial killings while communal clashes caused 55 deaths.

Other categories are isolated deaths which claimed 47 lives, political violence (6), pirate attacks (4) and mob action (3).

Global Rights Nigeria describes itself as a “Human Rights organization working to build grassroots movements that promote and protect the rights of marginalized populations.”