May 29, (THEWILL) – Amnesty International has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of failing to protect civilians in areas affected by terrorist and bandit attacks.
In a report released on Thursday, the rights group stated that over 10,000 people have been killed across Nigeria’s northern states in the past two years by terrorist groups and armed criminal gangs.
“In the two years since the current government has been in power, at least 10,217 people have been killed in attacks by gunmen,” the report said.
According to Amnesty, Benue State recorded the highest number of casualties with 6,896 deaths, followed by Plateau State with 2,630 fatalities.
The assessment covered seven northern states, excluding Borno — the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency since 2009.
President Tinubu, in his inauguration speech on May 29, 2023, had identified insecurity as one of Nigeria’s biggest challenges. But Amnesty’s Country Director, Isa Sanusi, said the situation has deteriorated under his leadership.
“Instead, things have only gotten worse, as the authorities continue to fail to protect the rights to life, physical integrity, liberty, and the security of tens of thousands of people across the country,” Sanusi said.
The report also pointed to a recent escalation in attacks by groups such as Boko Haram and other armed factions, suggesting that the government’s security strategies are ineffective.
Sanusi added, “The recent escalation of attacks by Boko Haram and other armed groups shows that the security measures implemented by President Tinubu’s government are simply not working.”
Meanwhile, during his second anniversary address, President Tinubu maintained that security forces had made significant gains in curbing violence.
“With the successes achieved, farmers are back tilling the land to feed us. Highways hitherto dangerous for travellers have become safer,” the president said.
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