Top 10 Most Dangerous & Worst Cites To Live In Nigeria

Most Dangerous Places In Nigeria
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Like most third-world or developing countries, Nigeria has several places that are very dangerous to live in especially if you are a foreigner.

These places are identified with crisis, domestic violence, high crime rates, poverty, and a dirty environment, making them some of the worst places to live in the world.

Nigeria, a third-world nation, is a highly underdeveloped state, even possibly one of the worst developing countries in the world. An article published on the 5th of September 2019 by Forbes magazine rated Nigeria as the third-worst place to live in the world.

Brazil, South Africa, and Nigeria are topping the list of worst places to live in the world. The United States of America was rated as the 16th worst place to live in 2019, dropping from the 13th position it took in 2018. The United Kingdom is also ranked as the 12th worst place in the world.

The Nigerian government has done a very poor job of protecting the general public from crime and attacks. There are some places in Nigeria that have been identified as the most dangerous places to live in the country.
Some factors are responsible for making some locations more dangerous than others. This includes inadequate security measures, a lack of employment opportunities, and many people living below the poverty line.

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Most Dangerous Places in Nigeria

Don’t get this article all twisted. Nigeria is one of the best places to live in Africa. Nigeria is the economic center of Africa, the giants of Africa, and the 6th largest producer of crude oil worldwide.

This West African country has become a prime vacation spot for European tourists and American expats. But there are some places in Nigeria you still have to avoid going to for your safety. In no particular order, these are by far the worst places to live in Nigeria.

For this list, we have picked the ten most dangerous places to live in Nigeria as of September 2022. These were carefully selected based on the crime rate, arson, carjacking, pollution, terrorist activities, kidnapping, murder rate, and other factors.

1. Chibok, Borno State

Located in the North-Eastern part of Nigeria, Borno state is one of the most dangerous places to live in Nigeria. Since 2011, there have been constant attacks from Boko Haram and other military groups in this region.

The Boko Haram insurgency has led to an increase in violence and other crimes in this state over recent years. The insurgents have killed thousands of people, abducted women and children and destroyed property worth millions of naira.

In 2013, this Islamc sect received global attention when they abducted 219 students from the Chibok secondary school, Chibok, Borno. This act led to the trending #bringbackourgirls campaign across all social media platforms and humanitarian websites to secure these girls.

From 2013 to date, these girls are yet to obtain their freedom. Residing in Borno state is like a suicide sentence. Reporters and support aid have not been able to reach that region properly because of the high rate of insecurity & the security threat in Borno State.

Borno State has the highest casualty rates of all Boko Haram attacks in Nigeria. The attacks have been so severe that the Nigerian military has had to deploy soldiers in the region for protection. Even after moving the Nigerian defense headquarters to Borno State in 2015 as a strategy to combat Boko Haram, it has yielded zero results.

2. Kano, Kano State

Kano State is another terrible place to reside in if you are thinking of moving to Nigeria. The security threat label in this state is near critical. In 2012, over 32 Boko Haram terrorists raided and attacked villages and towns in Kano state, which resulted in the death of over 150 civilians.

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The Boko Haram insurgency has caused widespread violence across Kano State, which has resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries over the years. Since 2013, there were at least 1,000 casualties from suicide attacks and other violent acts committed by Boko Haram members.

It’s also hard to be a dedicated Christian, Moslem, or missionary in this place.  Boko Haram attacks on churches, mosques, and markets are at an all-time high. Plus the socio-economic activities in the state have been crippled by these attacks.

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That aside, Kano is a relatively underdeveloped region even though they have one of the biggest markets in Nigeria.

The strong point of Kano state is its agriculture. Its inhabitants are very skilled when it comes to planting and harvesting groundnut, beans, corn, millet, and even cattle farming. Still, farmers can only practice agriculture on a small scale due to poverty and inadequate government support.

3. Onitsha, Anambra State

For a very industrious state, Onitsha is one of the worst places to reside in Nigeria. Onitsha is notoriously famous for green crimes. Although this city has seen its fair share of rising and fall, it is still a the brink of a major crisis.

Onitsha is also known as a haven for kidnappers who abduct people for ransom or other purposes. In addition, there are many cult groups that operate freely in Onitsha without any interference from law enforcement agencies. The crime rate in Onitsha is high because there are many gangs who operate freely without fear of getting caught by police officers. These gangs are involved in every type of crime including kidnapping and drug trafficking.

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Less than 20 years ago, Onitsha was experiencing a series of attacks from different military groups, vigilantes, and kidnappers. Onitsha was so bad back in the days that the government decided that the only way to fight evil was with evil.

They introduced the Bakassi Boys who used guns, juju, machetes, and dark magic to hunt down, maim, and kill anybody they felt was a threat to society. These people have simply licensed Boko Haram.

Bakassi Boys were licensed to kill by shooting or beheading any perceived threats in the state. Certain people like fake pastors to petty thieves, armed robbers, kidnappers, corrupt landlords, murderers, and ritual killers were killed to maintain sanity in the city.

Today, Bakassi boys have been disbanded, but not completely gone. Some Ex-Bakassi boys still hang around the Onitsha head bridge to steal, kidnap, and scam people especially travelers who are ignorant of their presence.

The high crime rate in Onitsha is also attributed by poor policing, economic hardship and corruption among law enforcement officers. There are reports of police officers extorting money from motorists at checkpoints and even stealing their cars.

These thugs operate from Upper Iweka Road to MCC, Awada, and Obosi. Don’t think you’ll be safe by calling the police. They are still above the law. You can even be maimed for shouting, “Stop thief.” I think Onisha is the worst place to live in Nigeria.

4. Abeokuta, Ogun State

Ironically described as the land of good news, Ogun states is a very notorious area to live in.  There is always something diabolical happening in Abeokuta.

News headlines from Ogun State always read stories like “Wife kills husband,” “Boy rapes & kills maid,” “pastor sleeps with members wife and kills her husband”… is common in this part of the country.

Cities in the Ogun state are very, very wicked and backward in both cognitive and psychological aspects. There’s also a high level of insecurity in this region, leading to continuous curfews and movement restrictions.

The city has a high crime rate and is known for murders, robberies, kidnappings and other crimes. The area is also known for its tribal clashes between the Yoruba and the Hausa communities.

The economic output in the state is by far below standard. Ogun state is generally unsafe to live in. The infrastructure in the area is also below standards and poorly maintained.

It is mostly inhabited by internally displaced persons. The state also lacks the basic necessary infrastructure, making it one of the worst places to live in. If you like to live in a place filled with bad roads, inadequate power supply, terrible waste management, poor health care, and nasty neighbors, then the Ogun state is the place for you.

5. Ajegunle, Lagos State

Lagos can be described as a reasonably unstable city. The available number of facilities in the state is not enough to satisfy the demand required by the population. Lagos is the smallest and most productive city in West Africa, making it seem like a haven and beacon to people with big dreams.

Sometimes, Lagos is one of the most peaceful places in Nigeria, and other times, it is the genesis of a conflict or communal clash.

The wealth in this area is too high that even bordering states and countries are tapping into the wealth of Lagos, adding more stress to the system. The Agejunle area of Lagos is nothing to write one about.

Ajegunle is one of the most dangerous and the largest slum in Lagos State and it has been so for many years. It has been ranked as one of the most dangerous places to live in Nigeria because of its high crime rate, poor infrastructure and lack of basic amenities such as clean water, electricity and good roads.
The high level of poverty and unemployment that exists among residents has led to an increase in crime rates in this area. Louts have resorted to stealing as a way of survival due to lack of employment opportunities in Ajegunle.
Ajegunle also suffers from poor drainage systems because most gutters have been bloced by garbage and most houses are built on low-lying lands which flood during rainy seasons causing disease outbreaks such as malaria among residents living there

It is an overpopulated slum with underdeveloped facilities when compared to other parts of Lagos. You can be walking down the road and boom, STREET FIGHT [gang turf wars]. This gang battle usually involves multiple rival gangs fighting over territories or disputes.

These clashes can cover long distances from Apapa port down to the Safejo market in Amukoko and can even last continuously for up to 12 days. The rate of insecurity in this area is also somewhat above average.

6. Warri, Delta State

Speaking of one of the most dangerous places to live in Nigeria, Warri is a strong contender for the number one position.

Warri can easily be regarded as the Ajegunle of Nigeria. It is a rough and rugged area where you can quickly run into the good, bad, and ugly at the same time. The city has been plagued with political violence and other criminal activities over the years, making it one of the most dangerous places to live in Nigeria.

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Although the cost of living here is quite low, Warri is one of the worst places to live in Nigeria.

Warri is a hub for oil theft and illegal refining industry in Nigeria. This means that there are no less than 70 illegal refineries operating in Warri and its environs at any time. This has led to frequent explosions in these areas due to poor maintenance, lack of safety measures and poor quality materials used during construction of these illegal refineries.

Despite being an oil-rich region, the level of infrastructure here is by far below standard. One of its notable habits in its arsenal of bad habits is cultism. Warri is only second to Port Harcourt when cultism is concerned.

There have been cases where cultists confessed to recruiting members from JSS 2. Most of the youths in these areas are unemployed and prefer stealing and engaging in internet fraud over going to school or getting a decent job.

7. Port Harcourt, Rivers State

The city has a population of 3 million people according to present statstic. This makes it one of the largest cities in Nigeria after Lagos and Kano. However, there are problems in Port Harcourt due to a lack of planning for proper infrastructure development and provision for basic amenities like water supply/sanitation.

Port Harcourt is a no-safe zone for a new family. They don’t usually make news headlines because most of their activities are mostly done underground and properly covered up by security agencies in the country.

There are over 50 active cult groups in Port Harcourt. Most of these groups are more interested in making money than squabbling over territories. These cultists mainly operate on campuses found all over the state.

But when they are off-campus, you see a lot of youths between 16 and 33 arrested for armed robbery, murder, kidnapping, internet fraud, and domestic violence.

Even when they are caught, expelled, rusticated, or arrested, there are not deterred from stopping their evil act. It just gives them the chance to go into their work full-time.

Port Harcourt is by far the worst place to start a family in Nigeria due to the high level of insecurity and negative influence in society.

8. Yola, Adamawa State

 Yola is the capital of Adamawa State. Landlocked in the Northeast part of Nigeria, it ranks as one of the most dangerous places to live in Nigeria due to constant attacks from the Boko Haram operatives.

Yola used to be a quiet and civil place, with only a few stories of inter and intra ethnic conflicts. But since the rise of Boko Haram, Yola can be likened to Sodom and Gomorrah. 

Most of the state indigenes have deserted their homes, businesses, and farms, because of the constant attacks on churches, mosques, and markets. Attacks on this area have led to the death of over 1,500 people and the destruction of properties worth millions of Naira.

Even before the Boko Haram attacks, academic and social activities in this state are among the lowest in Nigeria. Less than 2,000 students register for WAEC & SSCE from Adamawa state every year.

Some parts of the city also has no sewerage system and relies on open defecation, which poses a serious health risk to locals.

9. Bauchi, Bauchi State

Bauchi state is another region in Nigeria plagued by Boko Haram militants.

The former president of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, declared many curfews in this region due to the high insecurity rate.

Bauchi also ranks second on the list of states with the highest cases of rape and sexual assault in Nigeria. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Bauchi recorded 990 whch is 22% cases of rape and sexual assault in 2018 alone.

That aside, like most states in the Northern parts of Nigeria, children in Bauchi lack proper education and health care. The state has a lot of problems like poverty, diseases, crime, poor infrastructure etc…

10. Benue State

Benue State was once regarded as one of the safest places in Nigeria but things have changed in recent times. This is due to the high level of violence, insecurity and killings that have taken place in the last few months

Benue State stands as one of the worst places to live in Nigeria. Not because of the high crime rate or insecurity but underdevelopment. Benue State stands as one of the most underdeveloped states in the country.

The state is currently facing series of killings and kidnappings. This is why many people are moving out of Benue state and into safer states like Lagos and Abuja.

Its academic, social, political, economic output is lower than standard making it a very underdeveloped society.

Characteristics of an impoverished society

The world we live in is rapidly becoming a global village thanks to the internet. Specific attributes are used to characterize an average society, which some of these places lack.

Some of the characteristics of an underdeveloped society include racism, inter-ethnic conflicts, inequality, xenophobia, violence and brutality, high crime rates, political instability, insecurity, high unemployment rate, poverty, and bad leadership.

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Most of these places meet the listed qualities making them a lousy choice for foreigners looking for Nigerian residency.

If the federal, state, and local governments work with investors and stakeholders, putting aside party differences, they can remodel these places to become even better than expected.

They can develop and provide both necessary infrastructures, security, standard social amenities, and support to people in these areas. I’m sure these places will rise to become some of the most beautiful places in the world and even hot tourist attractions for European expats.

Which city in Nigeria has the highest crime rate?

Lagos, Nigeria’s largest city, had the highest crime rate in the country, registering approximately 50,000 reported crimes in that year. This high crime rate is in line with the city’s significant population and urban density. It’s important to note that crime rates can vary over time and are influenced by various factors, including demographics, socioeconomic conditions, and law enforcement efforts.

1 thought on “Top 10 Most Dangerous & Worst Cites To Live In Nigeria”

  1. Alamin m hammajoda

    POINT OF CORRECTION
    The most dangerous place to live in Northern Nigeria are:
    1.Borno state
    2.zamfara state and
    3.katsina state

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