Safest Geopolitical Zone in One Month – StatiSense

Abuja – Fresh security data has confirmed what many had doubted: the South-East geopolitical zone recorded the lowest violence-related deaths across Nigeria between January 27 and February 26, 2026.

According to StatiSense, a respected data intelligence and analytics firm, the zone posted only 8 fatalities in the period under review. This figure is far below every other zone and stands in sharp contrast to the bloody toll in the northern parts of the country.

NaijaChoice News analysis of the report shows the full breakdown as follows:

• North-East – 380 fatalities
• North-West – 354 fatalities
• North-Central – 233 fatalities
• South-West – 16 fatalities
• South-South – 12 fatalities
• South-East – 8 fatalities

The numbers paint a clear picture. While banditry, jihadist attacks and farmer-herder clashes continued to claim hundreds of lives in the North, the South-East remained remarkably calm.

Stakeholders monitoring national security trends told NaijaChoice News that the South-East’s low casualty count may be linked to reduced activities of separatist groups and improved local intelligence sharing. “The zone has been relatively stable in recent weeks despite the usual narratives,” one security expert who preferred anonymity noted.

This development comes even as reports from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) highlighted escalating jihadist activities in the North-West and North-Central zones, with groups linked to ISWAP and other militants expanding operations near the Benin-Niger border. In the North-East, Boko Haram splinter groups maintained their deadly campaigns, pushing the fatality count to the highest in the country.

Kidnapping incidents, which have plagued the North-West for years, also stayed minimal in the South-East during the period. Earlier SBM Intelligence data had already shown the South-East recording among the lowest abduction figures nationally in previous assessments, a trend that appears to have continued into early 2026.

Security analysts say the South-East’s performance is particularly noteworthy because the zone had faced intense scrutiny over sit-at-home orders and unknown gunmen activities in past years. Many now credit sustained military operations, community vigilance and the reported arrest of key agitators for the improved situation.

A resident of Enugu who spoke to NaijaChoice News expressed cautious optimism: “For the first time in a long while, we slept without hearing gunshots or rumours of attacks. We hope this peace lasts.”

The StatiSense report has sparked fresh debate online, with many Nigerians calling on federal authorities to replicate whatever strategies worked in the South-East across the more troubled northern zones.

As President Bola Tinubu’s administration continues to push for nationwide security reforms, this latest ranking offers a rare piece of positive news from the South-East. NaijaChoice News will continue to track developments and provide updates on the security situation across all geopolitical zones.

For now, the data is clear: in the last one month, the South-East stood out as Nigeria’s safest geopolitical zone.