Defence Headquarters Slams Amnesty Report, Defends Military’s Achievements Under Tinubu

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has strongly criticised a recent report by Amnesty International, describing it as lacking in context and failing to recognise the significant achievements of the Nigerian Armed Forces in combating insecurity across the country. The DHQ said the report, which accused the government of failing to protect citizens from relentless attacks by armed groups and bandits, was based on “sweeping generalisations” and “unverified statistics.”

Amnesty International had claimed that at least 10,217 people were killed and 672 villages destroyed in the past two years, with Benue State accounting for the highest casualties at 6,896 deaths, followed by Plateau State with 2,630. However, in a statement on Friday, the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, refuted the claims, insisting they misrepresented the security situation and ignored the asymmetric nature of the threats Nigeria faces.

Kangye highlighted that under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the Armed Forces have neutralised over 5,000 insurgents and bandits, liberated 350 communities previously under terrorist control, and rescued over 1,200 kidnapped civilians. He added that the sustained military presence in volatile areas like Zamfara, Plateau, and Benue States has enabled displaced persons to begin returning home safely. Kangye dismissed Amnesty’s claim that 6,896 people were killed in Benue as “humongous and misleading,” saying the military’s records show 693 deaths in the state during the review period.

The DHQ also pointed to successful operations in Zamfara, where over 2,000 military offensives were conducted, resulting in the rescue of 687 abductees, the neutralisation of 1,500 terrorists, and the destruction of several bandit enclaves. Kangye urged Amnesty International and other civil society groups to be cautious in their reporting and to recognise the complex socio-political realities the military confronts in restoring peace across Nigeria.