It has been estimated that about 1,686 people were killed in 909 incidents of gang violence across Nigeria between January 2020 and March 2025.
A report by SBM Intelligence released Tuesday, stated that South-south and Southwest regions emerged as the most affected zones.
Rivers was believed to have topped the fatality chart with 215 deaths, followed by Lagos (197 deaths) and Edo (192 deaths).
These states were identified as strongholds of longstanding cult and gang rivalries.
The report added that these clashes often involved groups such as Vikings, Icelanders, Eiye, Aiye, Black Axe, and Greenlanders.
It said the South-South region recorded over 750 deaths, largely driven by violent cult rivalries in Rivers, Delta, and Bayelsa.
In the Southwest, over 491 fatalities were documented, particularly in Lagos and Ogun.T
The report stated further that the Southeast region, notably Anambra state, witnessed significant violence, with over 215 deaths attributed to increasing Viking and Aiye cult activity.
The North-central region, particularly Benues state, was said to have recorded 204 deaths, with cult groups such as Scavengers and Chain operating amid ongoing communal clashes.
In contrast, the Northeast and Northwest regions were said to have experienced minimal gang-related activity as they had about 30 fatalities combined. The report attributed this to the dominance of larger-scale terror groups like Boko Haram and bandits.
“Nigeria’s gang landscape, the South-South and Southwest are epicentres of violence.
“The South-South leads in fatalities with over 750 deaths, driven by intense feuds between Vikings, Icelanders, and Greenlanders, particularly in Rivers state.
“The Southwest records over 491 deaths, with Lagos being a hotspot for Aiye and Eiye clashes.
“The Southeast is also highly lethal (215+ deaths), with Anambra seeing significant Viking and Aiye activity.
“Conversely, the Northeast and Northwest experiences minimal traditional gang activity, having fewer than 30 total fatalities, as these regions contend with larger terror groups.
“Between January 2020 and March 2025, data from SBM Intel’s Violence Tracker indicated that no fewer than 1,686 people were killed in at least 909 incidents of gang violence across Nigeria, an average of approximately 1.85 fatalities per incident, with 2024 leading in incidents (273) but having fewer fatalities than 2021, which recorded more deaths (377) than the years under review.
“645 incidents (resulting in 1,286 deaths) were excluded from the dataset because the gangs involved could not be identified,” the report stated.
