Over 10,217 fatalities reported in Tinubu's administration: Benue and Plateau suffer the most - according to Amnesty International
Rising Death Toll and Humanitarian Crisis in Nigeria
According to a report by Amnesty International, over 10,000 Nigerians have lost their lives due to armed attacks and banditry during President Bola Tinubu's two-year tenure. The report, released on Thursday, indicates that the government's inability to provide adequate protection has led to repeated attacks across several northern and central states, including Benue, Plateau, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
Benue state bears the brunt of the violence, with 6,896 recorded deaths, followed by Plateau state with 2,630 fatalities. Amnesty International's findings show that new armed groups have emerged in states like Sokoto, Kebbi, and Kwara under Tinubu's administration, while hundreds of villages have been ravaged by gunmen in states such as Benue, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Plateau, and Zamfara.
The report highlights that the government's inaction has resulted in a worsening security situation and a potential humanitarian crisis in many states. Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, urgently calls on President Tinubu to address the resurgence of violence and fulfill his promises to the nation. Sanusi notes that the security measures implemented by Tinubu's government have proven ineffective in curbing the surge in armed group activities.
In Benue state, all 23 local government areas have experienced attacks, with frequent attacks reported in Ukum, Logo, Katsina-Ala, Gwer West, Gwer East, Apa, and Agatu local government areas. Over 148 villages have been sacked by gunmen across seven local governments in Benue State, triggering a wave of displacement affecting approximately 450,000 people.
The situation in Plateau State mirrors the violence in Benue. Armed herders have carried out 38 attacks and sacked at least 43 villages in four local government areas since 2023. Communities in both Benue and Plateau have endured multiple displacements, as IDP camps or schools they occupy have also been attacked.
This escalating violence has caused a looming humanitarian crisis, with farmers unable to cultivate their lands due to displacement. Many of those displaced in Plateau and Katsina states have resorted to begging to survive, while in Zamfara's Dangulbi district, farmers have watched their sweet potato harvests rot due to banditry preventing transportation to market.
Amnesty International asserts that the negligence of the authorities is fueling a cycle of impunity, worsening the security crisis in Nigeria. The organization emphasizes the urgent need for the government to guarantee the human rights of all Nigerians and act swiftly to halt the ongoing killings, violence, and human rights abuses across the country. The authorities' failure to hold perpetrators accountable and curb the escalating violence is only exacerbating the overall instability and humanitarian crisis faced by the nation.
- The surge in armed attacks and banditry during President Tinubu's tenure, as reported by Amnesty International, has led to a crisis in the states of Abuja, Benue, Plateau, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
- The Army is yet to find an effective solution to the resurgence of violence from new armed groups that have emerged under Tinubu's administration in Sokoto, Kebbi, and Kwara.
- General News outlets have reported on the potential humanitarian crisis in Nigeria, with over 450,000 people affected by displacement in Benue State alone.
- Crime and Justice organizations have highlighted the ongoing killings, violence, and human rights abuses in Nigerian states like Benue, Plateau, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara, all of which have been fuelled by the perceived negligence of the authorities.
- As the death toll rises in Nigeria, Amnesty International calls for President Tinubu to prioritize politics focused on ensuring the safety and well-being of his citizens, rather than on war-and-conflicts that worsen the current humanitarian crisis.
