SBM Intelligence , in a report released on Tuesday , said that no fewer than 1,686 people were killed in 909 documented incidents of gang...
SBM Intelligence, in a report released on Tuesday, said that no fewer than 1,686 people were killed in 909 documented incidents of gang violence across Nigeria between January 2020 and March 2025.
The report noted that the South-South and South-West regions were the most affected, with Rivers, Lagos, and Edo States topping the fatality chart.
“Rivers State alone recorded 215 deaths, Lagos had 197, and Edo recorded 192 deaths—all linked to longstanding rivalries between cult groups such as Vikings, Icelanders, Aiye, Eiye, Black Axe, and Greenlanders,” SBM stated.
According to the organization, the South-South region alone accounted for over 750 deaths, mostly from violent cult feuds in Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa States.
“The Southwest followed with 491 documented deaths, particularly in Lagos and Ogun, where clashes between Aiye and Eiye confraternities have become recurrent,” the report added.
In the Southeast, SBM Intelligence said over 215 deaths were recorded, with Anambra State witnessing significant violence, often connected to both cult clashes and separatist tensions.
In the North-Central zone, Benue State emerged as the worst-hit area, with 204 fatalities, where cult gangs like Scavengers and Chain operate amid ongoing communal unrest.
“The Northeast and Northwest zones recorded less than 30 fatalities combined, mainly due to the overwhelming influence of terrorist groups and banditry, which have pushed out typical gang activities,” SBM stated.
The report emphasized:
“Nigeria’s gang landscape reveals that the South-South and Southwest are the epicentres of cult-related violence. The South-South leads with over 750 deaths, fueled by deadly clashes between Vikings, Greenlanders, and Icelanders, particularly in Rivers. In the Southwest, Lagos remains the flashpoint, with violent rivalry between Aiye and Eiye. The Southeast’s 215+ fatalities are led by Anambra. The North-Central region—especially Benue—has also seen deadly violence, but in contrast, the Northeast and Northwest have fewer gang clashes because of dominant terror group activity.”
SBM Intelligence said 2021 was the deadliest year with 377 deaths from 173 incidents, likely triggered by post-COVID economic stress and political tensions.
“There was a sharp drop in 2022 with 228 deaths from 97 clashes—possibly due to government crackdowns or gang truces. However, 2024 had the highest number of incidents (273), even though it recorded fewer deaths per attack,” the report said.
They added that the surge in 2024 could be due to wider incident reporting, especially through TikTok and Twitter, beyond just police records.
“The worsening economic situation has also pushed more young people into cultism and gang violence. Incident trends from Q1 2025 already suggest a possible rise beyond 2022 levels,” the report warned.
SBM Intelligence explained that 490 of the 909 total incidents (54%) and 899 of the 1,686 deaths (53.3%) occurred in just three states: Edo, Ogun, and Delta.
“In Edo State alone, a violent clash between Black Axe and Eiye cultists in December 2023 left over 30 people dead in one week,” the report revealed.
The report also mentioned that Anambra accounted for 128 deaths, while Akwa Ibom (89 deaths) and Bayelsa (69 deaths) continue to struggle with militancy and cult-related killings.
States like Osun (55 deaths) and Kwara (58 deaths) were flagged as emerging hotspots, with cultism possibly spreading from nearby states.
“States like Borno, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara reported zero or very minimal gang-related deaths. This is largely because of dominant terrorist and bandit activities in those areas, which make it hard for traditional gangs to operate,” SBM concluded.
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