I was visited by an armed group of unknown gunmen sometime around April 16, 2022. They asked me to donate land to them at gunpoint. After the visit by Alihame Community New Building Permit Committee, I was accustomed to visits by different groups but this armed group of unknown gunmen refused to identify themselves.
I welcomed the group and noticed they were armed and on motorbikes, I asked what they wanted and they said I should donate a piece of my land to them. I noticed one of the unknown gunmen was loading a bullet into his gun in front of me. This may have been intended to scare me as it showed they were ready to shoot me if I did not comply with their blackmail to give them a portion of my land for free. I recall the color of his bullet being red as he loaded it into his gun. I’m lucky to be alive thanks to the intervention of two people whom I called out to for help, Okafor and Emmanuel.
This attack and demand is not new or surprising in Nigeria. I was lucky to survive this attack. The table below shows attacks in Nigeria around the same time Unknown gunmen attacked my property and demanded land from me while threatening me with a gun.
Some attacks by unknown gunmen in 2021.
| Date | Event | Fatality | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 8 | Onueke Police Station in Ezza South Local Government Area was attacked | Three police officers were killed | Vanguard Newspaper |
| February 23 | Unknown gunmen attacked a police station in Aba, Abia State | Two police officers were killed | Premium Times |
| February 24 | A patrol vehicle was torched in Ekwulobia in Anambra State | One police officer was killed | Premium Times |
| February 24 | A police roadblock was attacked in Idundu, Cross River | Six police officers were killed | Vanguard Newspaper |
| February 24 | Gunmen attacked Abayi police station in Osisioma Ngwa, Abia State | A police officer was killed while arms and ammunition were looted and the station was set ablaze | Vanguard Newspaper |
| February 25 | Gunmen attacked MCC in Calabar, Cross River | Four police officers were killed | Vanguard Newspaper |
| February 25 | The Divisional Police headquarters Aboh Mbaise, Imo State was attacked. | A police officer was wounded | Vanguard Newspaper |
| February 26 | Gunmen torched a police station in Imo State | Unknown | Premium Times |
| March 1 | Some gunmen attacked a police station in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State | Unknown | Premium Times |
| March 3 | Policemen were attacked at Obubra, Cross River | Six police officers were killed | Vanguard Newspaper |
| March 9 | Gunmen attacked a police station in Imo State | Several vehicles were set on fire. | Premium Times |
| March 20 | Unknown gunmen attacked the Divisional Police headquarters at Isiala Mbano, Imo State | Unknown | Premium Times |
| March 24 | Professor Charles Soludo was attacked at a town hall meeting in Isuofia, Aguata, Anambra State | Three police officers were killed while Anambra State Commissioner for Public Utilities, Engr. Emeka Ezenwanne was abducted. | Premium Times |
| March 30 | Commander of the Quick Intervention Unit, CSP Ben Ajide was attacked | The CSP and two others were killed. | Vanguard Newspaper |
| April 5 | Unknown gunmen attacked a correctional facility in Owerri, Imo State and freed 1,844 inmates | Unknown | Premium Times |
| April 20 | Greenfield University, Kaduna State was attacked and students were abducted | Twelve people were abducted | Premium Times |
| May 6 | Unknown gunmen set light to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NLDEA) office in Amaekpu, Ohafia, Abia State. | Unknown | Daily Trust Newspaper |
| May 8 | The special checkpoint at Choba bridge was attacked and policemen were killed. | Seven police officers were killed and the police patrol vehicle was set on fire. | News24 |
| May 9 | Unknown gunmen attack a police station in Trademore estate in Ubani, Abia State | Unknown | This Day Newspaper |
| May 17 | Unknown gunmen attacked the Ubakala divisional police station in Umuahia, Abia State. | Two police officers were killed | The Guardian Newspaper |
| June 2 | Gunmen attacked the senior special assistant to Benue Governor Samuel Orton on security | AIG Christopher Dega the SSA to the Governor was killed | Forefront Newspaper |
| June 12 | Gunmen attacked Kadawa village in Zamfara State | About 90 people were killed | Deutsche Welle |
| June 14 | Unknown gunmen attacked a community in Arufu, Taraba State | One was killed and two Chinese nationals kidnapped | This Day Newspaper |
| July 5 | Gunmen attack a school in Kaduna | 150 students were abducted | Reuters |
| July 8 | Maradun village, Zamfara State was attacked by gunmen | 49 people were killed | Punch Newspaper |
| July 9 | Gunmen attack Warkan village, Kaduna state and killed many | 10 people were killed and 5 were abducted. | The Cable |
| July 18 | Gunmen attacked policemen in Bungudu, Zamfara State | 13 police officers were killed | Punch Newspaper |
| July 21 | Gunmen attacked a police checkpoint in Enugu State | 6 police officers were killed, a police station was torched and firearms stolen | Garda World |
| August 1 | Six communities were attacked in Plateau state and up to 250 houses were destroyed. | Over 7 people were killed and many more wounded | Vanguard Newspaper |
| August 25 | Gunmen attacked Yelwa village in Plateau State | 35 villagers were killed and several homes torched | Vanguard Newspaper |
| August 28 | Gunmen attacked two villages in Zangon, Kaduna State | 3 people were killed and several others were injured. | Channels Television |
| September 13 | Unknown gunmen blew up a prison in Kogi State and freed 266 inmates | Unknown | Reuters |
| October 10 | Gunmen attacked a market and set cars on fire | 20 people were killed and 9 nine cars were torched. | China Global Television Network |
| October 18 | Gunmen attacked Goronyo community in Sokoto State and mayhem | 30 people were killed | The Washington Post |
| October 23 | Unknown gunmen attacked a medium prison in Oyo State and freed over 800 inmates | Two dead and several others wounded | Reuters |
Akinyetun, T. S., Ebonine, V. C., Ambrose, I. O. (2023). Unknown gunmen and insecurity in Nigeria: Dancing on the brink of state fragility. Security and Defence Quarterly, 42(2), 16-34. https://doi.org/10.35467/sdq/163462
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