By SpringnewsNG Media Limited | March 28, 2025

A new intelligence report has raised alarm over the increasing spread of violent attacks by criminal herders into southern Nigeria, transforming the pastoral crisis into a nationwide security emergency.

The report, titled “A National Emergency: The Escalating Crisis of Pastoral Violence in Nigeria,” was obtained by SaharaReporters on Thursday. It reveals that while the North-Central region has remained the most affected over the years, with Benue and Plateau states suffering heavy casualties, recent trends indicate a dangerous southward expansion of these attacks.

According to SBM Intelligence, which authored the report, Benue State has recorded over 200 attacks between 2019 and 2025, while Plateau State has witnessed at least 150 violent incidents. The crisis has steadily moved beyond these areas, reaching Kaduna in the Northwest and Adamawa in the Northeast. However, recent attacks in Oyo and Enugu suggest that no region is safe from this growing menace.

Expansion of Violence to the South

The report warns that the conflict is following predictable migration routes of herders and the illegal arms trade, leading to an increasing number of violent incidents in the South.

“More alarmingly, the conflict shows signs of spreading southwards, with sporadic but intensifying outbreaks in Enugu and Oyo, serving as clear warnings that no region is immune,” the report states.

The data highlights how a combination of environmental pressures, weak governance, and unchecked arms proliferation has escalated traditional grazing disputes into a national security crisis.

Attack on LAUTECH Students

A recent attack on students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Oyo State further underscores the severity of the situation. Armed men, suspected to be herders, reportedly invaded student hostels in Ogbomoso last Monday, breaking into rooms, stealing valuable items, and allegedly killing two people.

Eyewitnesses described how the attackers, armed with machetes and guns, ransacked hostels near the Stadium Area, targeting students’ phones and laptops. The incident adds to growing concerns over the spread of violent activities beyond the traditional flashpoints in the Middle Belt.

A Nationwide Security Emergency

The intelligence report suggests that the geographical progression of these attacks indicates a systematic expansion of pastoral violence, with a deliberate campaign of territorial displacement occurring in parts of Nigeria.

With this trend, security experts warn that urgent government intervention is needed to prevent the crisis from engulfing more states. The report urges stronger law enforcement, improved intelligence gathering, and decisive action against armed groups fueling the violence.

As the crisis deepens, Nigerians remain on edge, with many calling for immediate policy changes to curb the growing threat of pastoral violence before it spirals further out of control.