By Daily Review Online
At least 103 police officers have been killed across Nigeria in various security-related incidents between January and November 2026, highlighting the growing dangers confronting security personnel amid the country’s worsening insecurity.
The figure comprises 98 officers killed in 21 states between January and October, according to data compiled by Daily Trust, and five additional officers reportedly murdered in a bandits’ ambush along the Sokoto-Gusau highway on Monday.
The data, compiled from media reports confirmed by police authorities, showed that the officers died in attacks by bandits, gunmen and terrorists, as well as road accidents and shootings involving fellow policemen.
Yobe State recorded the highest number of casualties, with 17 officers killed, followed by Zamfara and Kebbi states with 14 each.
Katsina recorded five deaths, while Borno and Taraba accounted for four each. Rivers, Sokoto, Plateau, Enugu, Lagos and Imo recorded three deaths apiece.
Oyo, Anambra, Abia, Kaduna and Kogi recorded two deaths each, while Adamawa, Kano and Niger recorded one each.
A breakdown of the January-to-October figures showed that bandits were responsible for 35 deaths, gunmen 29 and Boko Haram terrorists 22. Two officers were killed by Lakurawa terrorists.
Other incidents included three officers allegedly shot by fellow policemen, four killed in road accidents and hit-and-run incidents, one killed by kidnappers, another by hoodlums and one by thugs.
Some of the deadliest attacks occurred in Kebbi State, where 10 policemen were killed during a gun battle with bandits around the Rafin Makuku axis of Sakaba Local Government Area on August 10.
Police authorities said the incident occurred at about 9:25 a.m. when operatives intercepted suspected bandits travelling between Zamfara and Kebbi states.
The police said 17 suspected bandits were neutralised during the encounter, while four motorcycles belonging to the attackers were destroyed.
In Yobe State, 17 officers were reportedly killed when militants launched a coordinated attack on the Nigerian Army Special Forces School in Buni Yadi on May 16.
The then police spokesman, DCP Anthony Okon Placid, said the officers were undergoing specialised operational training at the institution when the attackers struck from multiple directions.
Several soldiers were also reportedly killed in the attack, although the police did not disclose the number of military casualties.
Benue State also recorded deadly attacks, including the killing of four policemen during a gun battle with armed men in Ayilamo community, Logo Local Government Area, on September 10.
The Benue State Police Command said the officers stood their ground in defence of the community and successfully repelled the attackers, forcing them to retreat into the surrounding forest.
The slain officers were identified as Paul Ina, Mohammed Yusuf, Oge Ikechukwu and Edeh Andrew.
Their bodies were recovered from nearby bushes during search and rescue operations, according to the command.
Seven civilians were also killed in the attack, with their bodies subsequently deposited at a mortuary.
Meanwhile, five additional police officers were killed on Monday when armed bandits ambushed a vehicle conveying them along the Sokoto-Gusau highway in Zamfara State.
According to the Anadolu Agency, the officers were travelling in a mass transit bus from Sokoto to Zamfara when the attackers intercepted the vehicle and opened fire.
The police spokesperson, Abdullahi Faruk, confirmed the incident, saying the bodies of the officers had been deposited at the morgue of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto.
The officers were reportedly travelling to Zamfara for a special assignment to provide security during the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary election for Zamfara North in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area.
The figures also highlight fatalities arising from incidents involving fellow officers.
In January, Inspector Sani Malumfashi was allegedly shot dead by a colleague at Intels, Onne, in Rivers State.
Similarly, in October, Corporal Amos Yusuf reportedly shot his colleague, Corporal Grace Onimisi, dead at their residence in Asco Camp, Ajaokuta, Kogi State, before taking his own life.
The latest killings underscore the persistent security challenges facing Nigeria’s police force, particularly in the North-West and North-East, where armed groups continue to attack security formations, ambush patrols and target rural communities.
*Additional reports by Daily Trust