Global human rights organisation, Amnesty International, has claimed that 10,217 Nigerians have been killed and 672 villages sacked by bandits in the past two years.
Amnesty International, in a report released on Wednesday, said Benue State recorded the highest number of deaths with 6,896 people killed, followed by Plateau State with 2,630 deaths.
According to Amnesty International, other heavily affected states include Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara, among others.
The group also raised the alarm over what it described as the Nigerian government’s failure to protect citizens from relentless attacks by armed groups and bandits.
“A new investigation shows that, in the two years since the current government has been in power, at least 10,217 people have been killed in attacks by gunmen in Benue, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau Sokoto and Zamfara state. Benue state accounts for the highest death toll of 6,896, followed by Plateau state, where 2,630 people were killed.
“Since 29 May 2023, hundreds of people have been killed in rural areas where, our research since 2020 shows, a total absence of governance has given gunmen and criminal groups a free hand to commit atrocities,” the report said.
It further said its investigation verified the killing of over 294 people in Katsina State and documented the abduction of 306 people, mostly women and girls, between May 2023 to May 2025.
In Zamfara, Amnesty International reported that no fewer than 529 villages were under the control of bandits.
“In Zamfara state, attacks have occurred daily, with multiple attacks sometimes taking place in a single day. In the last two years, over 273 people have been killed and 467 people abducted. Since the beginning of the bloody security crisis, bandits have sacked 481 villages across the state while 529 villages are under the control of bandits, across 13 local governments of Zamfara State,” It stated.
The human rights organisation added, “In Plateau state, armed herders carried out 38 attacks. Bandits have sacked at least 43 villages in four local government areas. Between 27 March and 2 April 2025.”
Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi lamented that insecurity has been on the rise since President Bola Tinubu took over power in 2023.
He said, “Today marks exactly two years since President Bola Tinubu assumed office with a promise to enhance security. Instead, things have only gotten worse.
“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.”
The organisation, however, warned of looming humanitarian crises as a result of the rising insecurity.
“The majority, if not all of those affected by these attacks, are farmers, whose displacement means they can no longer cultivate their farms. This is causing a looming humanitarian crisis.
“The majority of those displaced in Plateau and Katsina states told Amnesty International that they had to resort to begging to survive daily life. At Dangulbi District of Zamfara state, farmers have to watch their harvest of sweet potatoes rot because bandits have prevented them from transporting them to the nearest market, ” the report added.
While the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Markus Kangye was yet to officially respond to these claims, the National Counter Terrorism Centre – Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC – ONSA) has dismissed the report.
The office, which is in charge of coordinating Nigeria’s counter-terrorism efforts described the report as misleading, maintaining that “several of the figures and assertions contained therein are inconsistent with verified data” in possession of the office.
According to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the Coordinator of the NCTC-ONSA, Maj.-Gen. Adamu Garba Laka in a letter dated May 28 and addressed to the Director of the Amnesty International Nigeria, called for withholding of the report.
It letter reads in part, “Therefore, we strongly advise that the said report be withheld from publication, pending a thorough engagement to address the evident gaps and potential misinformation contained therein.
“The report, in its current form, presents an overly alarming narrative which does not reflect the broader realities on the ground, and which risks misinforming the public, damaging the international image of the country, and inadvertently encouraging terrorists and criminal elements by exaggerating impact of their atrocities”.
The Centre also invited Amnesty International Nigeria to a meeting to dissect the report in order to avoid misleading the public.
“In the interest of constructive engagement and mutual understanding, the NCTC – ONSA would be pleased to host a consultative meeting with representatives of Amnesty International Nigeria.
“This meeting will provide an opportunity for both parties to review the contents of the report, reconcile discrepancies, and discuss ongoing security efforts as well as challenges faced in the protection of lives and property across the country.
“While we recognise and value the role of civil society organisations in documenting human rights concerns, such efforts must be pursued with accuracy, objectivity, and a careful understanding of the prevailing national security context. Therefore, we strongly advise that the said report be withheld from publication, pending a thorough engagement to address the evident gaps and potential misinformation contained therein.”
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