Bulletin 2026-09UCDP data through GED 26.1, Candidate Events 26.0.9Changes in the data

ConflictStats

Events and deaths in organized violence, as UCDP records them

Search

Nigeria: events and estimated deaths in May 2026

Monthly reportDataset: UCDP Candidate Events, preliminaryData through

UCDP recorded 145 eventsP of organized violence in Nigeria in May 2026. The best estimate of deaths in these events is 1,010P. The low estimate is 925 and the high estimate is 1,526P. UCDP counts 201P of these deaths as deaths of civilians. The count for April 2026 was 182 eventsP.

The count for May 2025 was 85 events. The change from May 2025 to May 2026 is up 71 percentP. Among the 26 months with a report for Nigeria, May 2026 has the 4th highest count of events. Nigeria holds 8 percentP of the events that UCDP recorded in all countries with a page in May 2026. In May 2025, the share was 4 percent.

P Preliminary. The figure is from UCDP Candidate Events, and UCDP revises these events.

Not all events in UCDP Candidate will make it into the final UCDP GED and new events will be added. The UCDP Candidate is a dataset containing events that have a high probability of being included in the final annual version of UCDP GED.

An incident where armed force was used by an organized actor against another organized actor, or against civilians, resulting in at least 1 direct death at a specific location and a specific date

UCDP's words. Source: UCDP Candidate Events Dataset Codebook, version 1.5 (Introduction) and UCDP GED Codebook, version 26.1 (section 2, the definition of an event), copied on .

This page rests on UCDP GED 26.1 and UCDP Candidate Events 26.0.9, with data through . The figures from January 2026 are from Candidate Events. Candidate Events are preliminary and UCDP revises them.

The pages give counts and their sources. They give no travel, security or safety advice. A count of events is not a measure of danger.

Regions

The table has 10 regions at most.

Table 1. Nigeria, May 2026: events and estimated deaths by region, in name order
RegionEventsPEstimated deathsP
Adamawa state512
Benue state619
Borno state31410
Katsina state1065
Kwara state512
Niger state11105
Oyo state612
Plateau state2277
Yobe state579
Zamfara state16141

P Preliminary. The figure is from UCDP Candidate Events, and UCDP revises these events.

Figure 1. Events in Nigeria, May 2026. The map shows 145 events with 1,010 estimated deaths. One dot is one event at the place that UCDP gives. When a source names no exact place, UCDP puts the event at the centre of a region or of the country. The area of a dot follows the best estimate of deaths. The largest dot is for 330 deaths or more.1 death10 deaths100 deathsOutlines: Natural Earth, with the first-level areas of the UCDP data. An outline shows where the events are. It is not a statement about a border.

Events

The table lists the events with 10 or more estimated deaths. The CSV file of Nigeria has each event.

Table 2. Nigeria, May 2026: events with 10 or more estimated deaths (23 of 145 events), in the order of their dates
DatePlaceSides, as UCDP writes themType of violenceEstimated deathsPLowHigh
3 May 2026Kankia lga, Katsina stateGroup named for a person (name not shown); CiviliansOne-sided171117
6 May 2026Bama lga, Borno stateActor not identified by UCDP; CiviliansOne-sided181818
7 May 2026Magumeri lga, Borno stateGovernment of Nigeria; ISState-based141415
7 May 2026Gujba lga, Yobe stateGovernment of Nigeria; ISState-based525252
8 May 2026Bassa lga, Plateau stateActor not identified by UCDP; Actor not identified by UCDPNon-state131313
8 May 2026Gujba lga, Yobe stateGovernment of Nigeria; ISState-based201930
9 May 2026Barkin Ladi lga, Plateau stateActor not identified by UCDP; Actor not identified by UCDPNon-state101010
10 May 2026Shinkafi lga, Zamfara stateActor not identified by UCDP; Actor not identified by UCDPState-based20022
10 May 2026Shiroro lga, Niger stateActor not identified by UCDP; Actor not identified by UCDPState-based837083
10 May 2026Zamfara stateActor not identified by UCDP; Actor not identified by UCDPState-based101030
10 May 2026Matazu lga, Katsina stateActor not identified by UCDP; CiviliansOne-sided121212
10 May 2026Zurmi lga, Zamfara stateActor not identified by UCDP; Actor not identified by UCDPState-based7272117
16 May 2026Abadam lga, Borno stateGovernment of Nigeria; ISState-based414141
16 May 2026Borno stateGovernment of Nigeria; ISState-based113113113
17 May 2026Abadam lga, Borno stateGovernment of Nigeria; ISState-based212121
18 May 2026Mafa lga, Borno stateActor not identified by UCDP; CiviliansOne-sided272727
22 May 2026Gwoza lga, Borno stateGovernment of Nigeria; JASState-based141214
28 May 2026Ngala lga, Borno stateGovernment of Nigeria; ISState-based161616
29 May 2026Dutsin-Ma lga, Katsina stateActor not identified by UCDP; CiviliansOne-sided161616
30 May 2026Borno stateGovernment of Nigeria; ISState-based131313
30 May 2026Abadam lga, Borno stateGovernment of Nigeria; ISState-based212121
31 May 2026Kukawa lga, Borno stateGovernment of Nigeria; ISState-based515151
31 May 2026Tureta lga, Sokoto stateActor not identified by UCDP; CiviliansOne-sided171717

P Preliminary. The figure is from UCDP Candidate Events, and UCDP revises these events.

Names are as UCDP writes them, with two labels that the site writes. UCDP does not identify some actors: the site writes "Actor not identified by UCDP" for each of them. UCDP names some groups for a person: the site writes "Group named for a person (name not shown)" for each of them. A line with a label can hold more than one actor.

Actors, as UCDP names them

Names as UCDP writes them.

Table 3. Nigeria: actors, as UCDP names them, in the events of May 2026, in name order
Name, as UCDP writes itEventsEstimated deaths in these events
Actor not identified by UCDP77P459P
Agatu1P4P
Birom4P11P
Black Axe8P21P
Buccaneers2P3P
Eyie4P5P
Fulani9P20P
Government of Nigeria38P458P
Group named for a person (name not shown)1P17P
Igbo1P1P
IPOB1P8P
IS35P441P
JAS8P36P
JNIM1P0P
Karimjo2P5P
SVC6P17P
Tiv3P4P
Wurukum2P5P

An event has two sides, so one event can be in two rows. The deaths are the deaths in the events of a side. The table does not say which side caused a death. Names are as UCDP writes them, with two labels that the site writes. UCDP does not identify some actors: the site writes "Actor not identified by UCDP" for each of them. UCDP names some groups for a person: the site writes "Group named for a person (name not shown)" for each of them. A line with a label can hold more than one actor.

P Preliminary. The figure is from UCDP Candidate Events, and UCDP revises these events.

Type of violence

Table 4. Nigeria: events by type of violence, May 2026
Type of violenceEventsShare of events
State-based armed conflict72P50%
Non-state conflict45P31%
One-sided violence against civilians28P19%

P Preliminary. The figure is from UCDP Candidate Events, and UCDP revises these events.

The glossary has the UCDP definition of each type.

All months

Table 5. Monthly reports of Nigeria, newest first: events and estimated deaths
MonthEventsEstimated deathsDataset
September 2026143P451PCandidate Events
August 2026161P992PCandidate Events
July 2026116P551PCandidate Events
June 2026166P614PCandidate Events
May 2026145P1,010PCandidate Events
April 2026182P1,034PCandidate Events
March 2026113P698PCandidate Events
February 2026108P712PCandidate Events
January 2026142P719PCandidate Events
December 202559358GED
November 202544340GED
October 202551255GED
September 202569336GED
August 202569262GED
July 202567222GED
June 202568469GED
May 202585648GED
April 202568401GED
March 202559248GED
February 202546191GED
January 202547428GED
December 202427182GED
November 202457255GED
October 202452330GED
September 202439235GED
August 202430408GED

P Preliminary. The figure is from UCDP Candidate Events, and UCDP revises these events. Search engines list a report of a month in the last 12 months that has 20 or more events. The other reports stay online and ask search engines not to list them.

Nigeria: all figures

Cite this page

ConflictStats. Nigeria: events and estimated deaths in May 2026. https://conflictstats.com/country/nigeria/month/2026-05/. Source: Uppsala Conflict Data Program, UCDP GED 26.1 and UCDP Candidate Events 26.0.9. Data through .

The address of this page does not change. UCDP asks for a citation of its publications: Data sources and licences has it.