279 Kidnapped, 842 Killed in Nigeria in May – Report

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – A new report has revealed that no fewer than 279 people were kidnapped across Nigeria in May 2026, while 842 people lost their lives in 156 violent incidents recorded during the month.

The figures were released by Nextier through its Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database and show a worsening security situation in the country.

According to the report, violent incidents increased by 51.5 per cent compared to May 2025. The number of deaths rose by 90.1 per cent, while kidnappings increased by 19.7 per cent.

The report comes amid concerns that peacebuilding programmes across the country are not producing the desired results despite significant investments by governments and development partners.

In a policy article titled “The Travails of Measuring Peacebuilding in Fragile Contexts,” development practitioner Jamilu Musa and political scientist Dr. Chukwuma Okoli said it remains difficult to assess the true impact of peacebuilding efforts.

The experts noted that peacebuilding is more than organising dialogue sessions, workshops and awareness campaigns. They said the real test is whether such programmes reduce violence, strengthen trust among communities and improve security.

They also pointed to shrinking international funding for peacebuilding projects due to global crises such as the Russia-Ukraine war and tensions in the Middle East.

According to the researchers, measuring peacebuilding outcomes is challenging because factors such as trust, social cohesion and resilience are difficult to quantify.

They identified conflict trends, social cohesion, governance and inclusion, as well as resilience and conflict prevention, as key indicators for assessing peacebuilding efforts.

The experts called on governments and stakeholders to adopt better monitoring and evaluation systems to determine whether peacebuilding interventions are achieving their goals.

They also urged stronger collaboration among security agencies, humanitarian organisations and development partners to improve data sharing and reduce duplication of efforts.

They concluded that the success of peacebuilding programmes should not be measured by the number of activities carried out, but by whether communities become safer, more peaceful and more resilient.

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