For over a decade, Gombe State in North-Eastern Nigeria has consistently reported one of the lowest fatality rates from violent attacks in the country. According to data filtered from the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), in the last 14 years, only 570 people have been killed in various insecurity-related crises that were reported in the state.
This is four times less than the number of deaths recorded annually in Borno state, which shares a boundary with Gombe.
Dataphyte analysis showed that in the last 14 years, Nigeria has been confronted with a myriad of security challenges, ranging from terrorism to banditry and secessionist agitation. These crises have claimed the lives of over 120,000 people in the country; almost the population size of a local government area in Adamawa state.
However, in Gombe state, there is relative peace with far fewer deaths reported annually.
When the analysis was interrogated further, findings showed that between 2010 and 2024, data showed that except in 2014 and 2015, where the state reported over 150 deaths, the highest number of fatalities reported in Gombe state was 27 cases.
In 2014 and 2015, Nigeria was hit with a heightened level of multiple violent attacks like terrorism, kidnapping, and ethnic crises which claimed more than 22,000 lives in various parts of the country. However, during the same period, Gombe state reported a total of 410 people killed; which is barely two percent of the total number of deaths Nigeria recorded in both years.
Gombe, an oasis amidst the North-East crisis
The North-East region of Nigeria has been ravaged by violence, with most reported deaths occurring here. Decades-long clashes between herders and farmers, coupled with the brutal activities of extremist and secessionist groups, have left a trail of devastation, displacing countless individuals and destroying livelihoods.
However, amidst these reported clashes, Gombe state still recorded one of the lowest fatality rates compared to other states within the region. These states are Borno, Bauchi, Adamawa, Yobe and Taraba.
To put this into a better perspective, for every person killed in Gombe, a staggering 70 lives have been lost in neighbouring Borno state.
During a 2022 annual security conference organised by People’s Security Monitors, Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State emphasised his administration’s commitment to maintaining peace in the region.
“We thank God for helping us as far as the issue of security is concerned. We are in the midst of the North-East, sharing borders with the frontline states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa. So, we have tried to manage security in Gombe state as much as possible. We are happy and by the grace of God, we shall try to sustain that,” he said.
Why is there peace in Gombe state?
Strategically situated in the heart of the North-East, Gombe State shares borders with all five other North-Eastern states. Despite being surrounded by regions plagued by insecurity, Gombe remains relatively peaceful. Notably, Borno State, which has the highest incidence of insecurity in the region, presents a stark contrast.
Data reveals that areas bordering Chad and Cameroon are hotspots for violence in Borno. The insecurity has also spilled into neighbouring Yobe and Adamawa states, affecting local government areas (LGAs) sharing borders with Borno.
This suggests that targeted efforts and strategies by the Gombe government authorities might have effectively contained the spread of insecurity, making the state a haven of stability and development in the North-East.
However, a remarkable exception exists. The two LGAs in Borno bordering Gombe State stand out as beacons of peace, shielding Gombe from the insecurity ravaging the region.
Experts react
Babayo Sule, the Head of the Department of International Relations at the Federal University of Kashere, told Dataphyte that the lower insecurity experienced in the state could be principally tied to the state’s geographical location and size, among other strategic policies by the government.
He explained that, unlike other northeastern states that share boundaries with African countries, Gombe is located in the middle of the region which likely prevents the cross-border terrorism attacks experienced in four out of the six northeastern states.
Also, Confidence MacHarry, a senior analyst at SBM Intelligence, added saying, “At the height of the Boko Haram insurgency in 2015, the military created a perimeter to contain the Boko Haram threat. Gombe was part of that cordon in Borno’s southern boundaries and years after, it appears to have held. And this might also be explained by the relatively few attacks that communities in Southern Borno have suffered compared with the North.”
Impact of sustained peace
The prevailing peace in Gombe State has had a profoundly positive impact on two critical dimensions: social development and economic growth.
Data on economic growth showed that the state grew its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from ₦7.34 billion in 2018 to ₦13.60 billion in 2022. Its unemployment rate to the labour force as of 2020 was 33 percent. Also, Gombe was ranked the best state in Nigeria in terms of ease of doing business in 2023.
In terms of social development, according to the National Health Management Information System (NHMIS), Gombe State recorded notable improvement in infant mortality rates between 2018 and 2023. The data reveals that Gombe State’s average infant mortality rate stood at 7 deaths per 1,000 live births. However, Nigeria’s national average infant mortality rate was 10 deaths per 1,000 live births during the same period.
Gombe State’s lower infant mortality rate compared to the national average suggests effective healthcare interventions and strategies. However, this is not yet reflected in the maternal mortality rate as the death rate as of 2023 stood at 577 deaths for every 100,000 pregnant women annually, ranking it 12th in Nigeria’s health outcomes.
These gains underscore the transformative power of peace and stability, positioning Gombe State as a beacon of hope in the Northeast region.
Kehinde Ogunyale