The causes of the killings vary and include communal clashes, ethnoreligious crises, bandits attacks, Boko Haram attacks and attacks by separatists.
Sanadin kasha-kashen sun bambanta, kuma sun haɗa da faɗan tsakanin garuruwa da faɗan ƙabilanci da addini da hare-haren 'yan ta'adda da hare-haren 'yan Boko Haram da kuma hare-haren 'yan-a-ware.