More than 10,000 people have been killed in violent attacks by jihadist groups and armed criminal gangs across northern and central Nigeria over the past two years, Amnesty International said in a new report released Thursday.
The global human rights organisation accused the Nigerian government under President Bola Tinubu of failing to protect citizens in regions ravaged by insecurity, especially in areas plagued by extremist insurgents and so-called “bandits” — criminal gangs known for deadly raids and mass abductions.
Despite Amnesty’s findings, President Tinubu, marking his second year in office, maintained that his administration has made progress, citing security operations that have “restored order” in affected regions and made highways safer for travel.
But Amnesty’s report, which examined violence in seven states (excluding Borno, the heart of Nigeria’s jihadist conflict), paints a more dire picture. Benue State recorded the highest number of fatalities with 6,896 deaths, followed by Plateau with 2,630.
The Middle Belt, often a flashpoint for farmer-herder clashes that take on ethnic and religious overtones, has been especially hard hit. In total, Amnesty recorded at least 10,217 deaths since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
“Instead of improving, the security situation has deteriorated,” said Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria. “The authorities continue to fail to protect the rights to life, safety, and freedom for tens of thousands of Nigerians.”
Sanusi also pointed to a resurgence of attacks by Boko Haram and other armed factions, warning that current security measures are inadequate.
While Tinubu acknowledged ongoing threats in his anniversary speech, he insisted that farmers had returned to their fields and that improved security had helped restore livelihoods in previously unsafe regions.
Alongside the escalating violence in the north and central areas, Tinubu’s government also faces mounting separatist agitation in the southeast, further compounding the country’s security challenges.
