THE GUARDIAN
The resurgence of brutal killings in the North Central geo-political zone, which increased since May 2023, claiming over 1200 lives within three months, has become a major threat to the N28 trillion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the six states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) puts the GDP of the six states in 2021 as N4.58 trillion (Niger); N4.27 trillion (Benue); N3.69 trillion Kogi); N1.86 trillion (Nasarawa); N1.50 trillion (Plateau) and N1.38 trillion (Kwara).
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has a GDP of N10.6 trillion according to figures released by the NBS for 2017 year making the GDP of the six states and the FCT amount to N28 trillion.
The increase in banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency in these states has jeopardized activities in agriculture, tourism, and hospitality industry, among others in the North Central in the last few weeks.
Findings from the region since May 2023, according to The Guardian investigations showed that no fewer than 1,200 deaths were recorded from banditry, kidnapping, herders-farmers crisis and the unknown gunmen syndrome within the period.
Over 45 million Nigerians in the zone have suffered greatly as more people escape to neighbouring regions in search of peace.
Latest data from the Nigeria Security Tracker (NST) equally showed a disturbing trend of reported killings within the region.
The NST catalogs and maps political violence based on a weekly survey of Nigerian and international press relying on press reports of violence. Their report however cited the dearth of accurate reporting across certain regions, death tolls are imprecise, and accounts of incidents vary.
Senator Sani Musa disclosed that about 90 villagers in Paikoro, Shiroro and Rafi local governments within his constituency in Niger state were killed in July, 2023 alone.
In Nasarawa State, killings from May, 2023 are not less than 250. The situation got worse when 38 residents of Takalafia and Gwanja communities in the Karu Local Government were reportedly killed by herdsmen.
In that attack, the Pastor-in-charge of the Evangelical Church Winning All in the area, Rev. Daniel Danbeki, and 37 others were gruesomely murdered.
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