Nigeria is currently grappling with an alarming surge in violent killings. In the first half of 2025 alone, over 2,266 people have been killed in attacks by bandits, insurgents, and armed groups, surpassing the total fatalities recorded for the entire year of 2024, which stood at about 2,194, according to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
June 2025 proved particularly deadly, with more than 600 deaths reported due to mass attacks notably in Benue and Plateau states, areas plagued by clashes between farmers and herders, banditry, and other forms of violence.
This sharp upsurge has not been without consequences for local security structures. Armed bandits have targeted vigilante groups, resulting in significant casualties among these community protectors, such as the killing of approximately 70 vigilante members in Kanam, Plateau State.
The frequency and lethality of these attacks reflect not only enduring ethnic and resource-based conflicts but also deficiencies and challenges within the security apparatus tasked with protecting vulnerable communities.
As violence escalates, the question of individuals’ right to self-defense becomes ever more critical. In Nigeria, the right to self-defense is constitutionally protected and elaborated within both the Criminal Code (applicable in Southern Nigeria) and the Penal Code (applicable in Northern Nigeria).
Self-defense allows individuals to use reasonable force to protect themselves, their families, and property from imminent harm.
However, this right is subject to important legal conditions: the threat must be immediate, the force used must be proportional to the threat, and the defender must not be the aggressor.
The legal framework clarifies that while Nigerians may defend themselves when faced with danger, the use of force must be necessary and limited to what is reasonable under the circumstances.
Excessive force or acts of aggression can expose individuals to criminal liability despite the right to self-defense.
Courts have upheld these principles in several landmark judgments, emphasizing proportionality and the immediacy of the threat as key determinants.
Despite these protections, the real-life application of the right to self-defense in Nigeria is complex and fraught with risks.
Communities affected by incessant attacks sometimes resort to forming local vigilante groups or armed community defense units, blurring lines between legitimate self-defense and vigilantism.
This situation raises ethical and security concerns, as it can lead to cycles of retaliation, misuse of force, and challenges to the rule of law.
In response to the rising violence, Nigerian authorities have acknowledged the persistence of threats from various insurgent groups and armed bandits, pledging enhanced security measures.
The National Security Adviser and the Chief of Defence Staff continue to assure Nigerians that government efforts will focus on countering terrorism, violent extremism, and other security challenges through improved coordination and innovative strategies.
Nonetheless, the destruction wrought by ongoing violence highlights the urgent need for more decisive action to restore safety and uphold human rights.
The deterioration of security in Nigeria, paired with the constitutional right to self-defense, places individuals and communities at a delicate crossroads.
While the right to defend oneself is vital, it must be exercised within the confines of Nigerian law to prevent further escalation of violence.
Strengthening national security, alongside community engagement and legal education on self-defense rights and limits, will be key to addressing the root causes of violence and protecting citizens’ lives and dignity.
This article calls attention to Nigeria’s pressing security crisis and the essential balance between the right to life, personal defense, and the collective efforts necessary for peace and stability.
Only the living can defend themselves. Do so while you still can, but only within the limits of the law.
