Countries › Nigeria › May 2026
Nigeria: conflict events in May 2026 Monthly report from UCDP event data.
150 events 188 the month before
1,031 est. deaths range 946–1,547
214 civilian deaths
In May 2026, UCDP recorded 150 organized-violence events in Nigeria, with 1,031 estimated deaths. That is -20% compared with 188 events the month before. The death toll range is 946 to 1,547.
51% of the month's events were state-based armed conflict. Civilian deaths: 214.
Events were concentrated in Borno state (31), Plateau state (22), Zamfara state (20).
The most active pairing was Unidentified armed group - Unidentified armed group with 64 events.
Where events happened 2026-05-31: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-31: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (9 deaths) 2026-05-31: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (1 deaths) 2026-05-31: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (1 deaths) 2026-05-31: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (17 deaths) 2026-05-31: Government of Nigeria vs IS (4 deaths) 2026-05-31: Government of Nigeria vs IS (51 deaths) 2026-05-31: Government of Nigeria vs JNIM (0 deaths) 2026-05-30: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-30: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (1 deaths) 2026-05-30: Fulani vs Tiv (1 deaths) 2026-05-30: Government of Nigeria vs IPOB (8 deaths) 2026-05-30: Government of Nigeria vs IS (13 deaths) 2026-05-30: Government of Nigeria vs IS (21 deaths) 2026-05-30: Government of Nigeria vs IS (0 deaths) 2026-05-29: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-29: IS vs Civilians (0 deaths) 2026-05-29: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (16 deaths) 2026-05-29: Karimjo vs Wurukum (5 deaths) 2026-05-28: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-28: Government of Nigeria vs IS (16 deaths) 2026-05-27: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-27: Government of Nigeria vs IS (4 deaths) 2026-05-27: Black Axe vs Buccaneers (2 deaths) 2026-05-26: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-26: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (0 deaths) 2026-05-26: Government of Nigeria vs IS (7 deaths) 2026-05-25: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-25: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-24: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-24: Black Axe vs SVC (1 deaths) 2026-05-23: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-23: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (3 deaths) 2026-05-23: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (3 deaths) 2026-05-23: Birom vs Fulani (1 deaths) 2026-05-23: Government of Nigeria vs IS (1 deaths) 2026-05-23: Government of Nigeria vs IS (5 deaths) 2026-05-23: Eyie vs SVC (1 deaths) 2026-05-22: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-22: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-22: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-22: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-22: Government of Nigeria vs JAS (14 deaths) 2026-05-22: Government of Nigeria vs Civilians (1 deaths) 2026-05-22: Government of Nigeria vs IS (3 deaths) 2026-05-22: Government of Nigeria vs IS (6 deaths) 2026-05-21: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-21: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-20: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-20: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (1 deaths) 2026-05-20: Government of Nigeria vs IS (1 deaths) 2026-05-19: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-19: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-19: Government of Nigeria vs JAS (3 deaths) 2026-05-19: Government of Nigeria vs IS (0 deaths) 2026-05-18: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-18: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-18: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-18: IS vs Civilians (6 deaths) 2026-05-18: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (27 deaths) 2026-05-17: Government of Nigeria vs JAS (3 deaths) 2026-05-17: JAS vs Civilians (1 deaths) 2026-05-17: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (1 deaths) 2026-05-17: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (3 deaths) 2026-05-17: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (11 deaths) 2026-05-17: Government of Nigeria vs IS (21 deaths) 2026-05-16: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-16: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-16: Black Axe vs Eyie (1 deaths) 2026-05-16: Government of Nigeria vs IS (113 deaths) 2026-05-16: Government of Nigeria vs IS (8 deaths) 2026-05-16: Government of Nigeria vs IS (41 deaths) 2026-05-15: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-15: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (3 deaths) 2026-05-15: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-15: Government of Nigeria vs JAS (2 deaths) 2026-05-15: JAS vs Civilians (2 deaths) 2026-05-15: Fulani vs Tiv (1 deaths) 2026-05-14: IS vs Civilians (5 deaths) 2026-05-14: IS vs Civilians (1 deaths) 2026-05-14: Government of Nigeria vs IS (2 deaths) 2026-05-13: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-13: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-13: Government of Nigeria vs IS (2 deaths) 2026-05-13: Government of Nigeria vs IS (2 deaths) 2026-05-13: Igbo vs Fulani (1 deaths) 2026-05-12: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-12: Black Axe vs SVC (2 deaths) 2026-05-11: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-11: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-11: JAS vs Civilians (4 deaths) 2026-05-11: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (3 deaths) 2026-05-10: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-10: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (83 deaths) 2026-05-10: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (10 deaths) 2026-05-10: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (72 deaths) 2026-05-10: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-10: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (20 deaths) 2026-05-10: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-10: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-10: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (12 deaths) 2026-05-10: Birom vs Fulani (2 deaths) 2026-05-10: Black Axe vs SVC (2 deaths) 2026-05-10: Black Axe vs SVC (8 deaths) 2026-05-10: Government of Nigeria vs IS (1 deaths) 2026-05-09: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-09: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (10 deaths) 2026-05-09: Government of Nigeria vs IS (3 deaths) 2026-05-08: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (13 deaths) 2026-05-08: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (4 deaths) 2026-05-08: Birom vs Fulani (3 deaths) 2026-05-08: Government of Nigeria vs IS (20 deaths) 2026-05-07: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (8 deaths) 2026-05-07: Government of Nigeria vs IS (52 deaths) 2026-05-07: Government of Nigeria vs IS (14 deaths) 2026-05-06: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-06: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-06: Government of Nigeria vs JAS (7 deaths) 2026-05-06: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (18 deaths) 2026-05-05: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (6 deaths) 2026-05-05: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-05: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-05: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (1 deaths) 2026-05-05: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (5 deaths) 2026-05-05: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (7 deaths) 2026-05-05: Government of Nigeria vs IS (4 deaths) 2026-05-04: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-04: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-04: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-04: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-04: IS vs Civilians (9 deaths) 2026-05-03: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (4 deaths) 2026-05-03: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-03: Unidentified armed group vs Civilians (1 deaths) 2026-05-03: Birom vs Fulani (5 deaths) 2026-05-03: Buccaneers vs Eyie (1 deaths) 2026-05-03: Agatu vs Fulani (4 deaths) 2026-05-03: Forces of Muhammadu vs Civilians (17 deaths) 2026-05-02: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (4 deaths) 2026-05-02: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-02: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-02: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (2 deaths) 2026-05-02: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (4 deaths) 2026-05-02: Black Axe vs SVC (3 deaths) 2026-05-02: Government of Nigeria vs IS (0 deaths) 2026-05-01: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (1 deaths) 2026-05-01: Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed group (3 deaths) 2026-05-01: Fulani vs Tiv (2 deaths) 2026-05-01: Government of Nigeria vs IS (3 deaths) 2026-05-01: Government of Nigeria vs IS (2 deaths) Recorded organized-violence events in Nigeria, May 2026. Circle size scales with estimated deaths. Regions, May 2026 Deadliest events, May 2026 Date Where Parties Est. deaths 16 May 2026 Borno state Government of Nigeria vs ISState-based, 6 sources 113 10 May 2026 Shiroro lgaNiger state Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed groupState-based, 13 civilian, 9 sources 8370–83 10 May 2026 Zurmi lgaZamfara state Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed groupState-based, 2 civilian, 7 sources 7272–117 7 May 2026 Gujba lgaYobe state Government of Nigeria vs ISState-based, 4 sources 52 31 May 2026 Kukawa lgaBorno state Government of Nigeria vs ISState-based, 4 sources 51 16 May 2026 Abadam lgaBorno state Government of Nigeria vs ISState-based, 12 sources 41 18 May 2026 Mafa lgaBorno state Unidentified armed group vs CiviliansOne-sided, 27 civilian 27 30 May 2026 Abadam lgaBorno state Government of Nigeria vs ISState-based, 4 sources 21 17 May 2026 Abadam lgaBorno state Government of Nigeria vs ISState-based, 6 sources 21 10 May 2026 Shinkafi lgaZamfara state Unidentified armed group vs Unidentified armed groupState-based, 2 sources 200–22
Type of violence Category Events State-based 76 Non-state 44 One-sided 30
All months Monthly reports: Jul 2026 Jun 2026 May 2026 Apr 2026 Mar 2026 Feb 2026 Jan 2026 Dec 2025 Nov 2025 Oct 2025 Sep 2025 Aug 2025 Jul 2025 Jun 2025 May 2025 Apr 2025 Mar 2025 Feb 2025 Jan 2025 Dec 2024 Nov 2024 Oct 2024 Sep 2024 Aug 2024 Jul 2024
← Nigeria overview
Source: UCDP GED and Candidate Events, CC BY 4.0. Counts use the "best" fatality estimate. See methodology .