No fewer than 73 people have been killed in separate attacks that broke out across eight states of the federation in the last two weeks, Saturday PUNCH can confirm.

Recall that in June, President Bola Tinubu lamented the rising spate of insecurity in the country, noting that the security challenges in the North-West region was affecting other parts of the country.

Tinubu stated this in Katsina, at a two-day summit themed, ‘Regional Cooperation for Securing Lives and Livelihoods in North-West Nigeria,’ organised by the North-West Governor’s Forum in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme.

The President, who was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the security issue in the North-West was not a sectional matter as whenever any part of the country was ailing, others would be affected.

He, however, assured Nigerians that his administration would not rest on its laurels until banditry, terrorism, and other forms of insecurity were eliminated.

However, Saturday PUNCH analysis of recent media reports showed that bandits and suspected herdsmen killed no fewer than 73 people between June 16 and July 3, 2024, across eight states of the federation.

The latest of such attack occurred on Tuesday, 2nd July in Benue and Katsina states where a total of 12 people, including a university lecturer were murdered in cold blood by gunmen.

The don, Dr Tiri David, who was the Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics, Extension, and Rural Development at the Federal University, Dutsinma in Katsina State, was reportedly killed early Tuesday morning by the assailants.

An eyewitness reported to Channels Television via telephone that the incident occurred around 1:30am at his residence in the Yarima Quarters, Low-Cost Estate, Dutsinma Local Government Area of the state.

While Nigerians were still reeling in shock over the don’s murder, some bandits struck again on Tuesday night in Benue State, killing no fewer than 11 people.

The bandits were said to have invaded Ayati village in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State and killed several people out of which 11 corpses had so far been recovered by youths in the local government area, who violently protested the killing on Wednesday in the state.

Recall that before then, three people from the Internally Displaced Persons camp in Agagbe area of the state had been murdered by suspected herders in the state.

The former manager of the camp, Terna Jacob, who confirmed the incident, said the IDPs were killed while returning from their farms on Monday evening.

On Sunday, June 30, five policemen were ambushed and killed by bandits in Jibia Local Government Area of Katsina State.

According to reports, the officers met their death, while returning to Jibia council headquarters from their duty post in Zandam village.

Four of the officers were killed at the scene of the attack, while the fifth officer died while receiving treatment at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Katsina.

On Saturday, June 29, suspected female suicide bombers struck a wedding, a hospital, and a funeral in Gwoza area of Borno State, leaving six people dead and several others injured.

Shettima, as of Monday, said the death toll of the suicide bombing attack had hit 32 with 26 of its injured victims still receiving treatment in the hospital, while 14 others had been discharged.

According to a statement issued by the Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communications, Mr Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima gave the updates while speaking with journalists after paying a condolence visit to the victims and families of those killed in the suicide bombings.

On that same day, suspected herders also hacked a rice farmer identified as Taiwo Paul to death in the Kata Area of Ewekoro Local Government of Ogun State.

Meanwhile, while a retired Army General, Brig. Gen. Harold Udokwere (retd.) was assassinated earlier on Saturday, June 22 by a three-man armed robbery gang in Abuja, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Development of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, Prof. Yusuf Saidu, was killed by bandits on Monday, June 24.

Between June 16 and June 17, no fewer than 18 people were also killed in three separate attacks across Kaduna, Taraba and Sokoto states.

Six of the victims were killed when suspected herders attacked Mararaban Azagwa and Alele villages all of Maihula in the Bali Local Government Area of the state on Sunday, June 16.

The Sokoto victims also met their death on the same day as six of them were killed and many others were abducted by the attackers in the early hours of Sunday.

The Sokoto Police Command Spokesman, Ahmed Rufai, who confirmed the killing, said it occurred at Tudun Doki, In the Gwadabawa Local Government Area of the state.

The last six victims from Kaduna State lost their lives when some bandits invaded Bauda and Chibiya communities in Maro Ward in Kajuru Local Government Area of the state on Monday, June 17.