Figures from Nextier’s Violent Conflict Database reveal that between 2020 and 2024, at least 359 incidents were documented, leading to the death of 2,349 people. The year 2024 alone accounted for 61 attacks and 467 fatalities.

The crisis has not slowed in 2025. In just under eight months, at least 451 people have been killed in fresh outbreaks of violence. Benue State has borne the brunt, with about 254 deaths, followed by Plateau with 121 and Nasarawa with 20. Other states hit by the clashes include Ondo (25 deaths), Ebonyi (16), Enugu (4), Edo (3), Taraba (3), Delta (2), and Imo (1). Observers believe the actual numbers are far higher, as many attacks go unreported.

Beyond the human toll, the violence has displaced about 2.2 million people in Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa since 2019, while an additional 500 lives were lost in that period.

In response to the recurring violence, governors from Southern Nigeria in May 2021 resolved to outlaw open grazing, citing the growing security and humanitarian crisis. Their collective decision led to the passage of anti-open grazing laws in all 17 Southern states between July 2021 and May 2022. In the North, only Benue and Taraba have enacted similar legislation.

Despite these legal measures, enforcement has remained weak, and open grazing continues in many parts of the country. As a result, the cycle of killings, kidnappings, and displacement shows little sign of abating.