More than 10,000 people have been killed and hundreds of communities destroyed in Nigeria since President Bola Tinubu assumed office two years ago, Amnesty International said on Thursday, warning of a “looming humanitarian crisis” and escalating insecurity across several northern states.
In a damning new report released to mark the second anniversary of Tinubu’s presidency, the global human rights watchdog revealed that at least 10,217 people have been killed in armed attacks across Benue, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto, and Zamfara states since May 29, 2023.
Benue State recorded the highest number of deaths, with 6,896 people killed, followed by Plateau with 2,630 fatalities. Amnesty also reported that 672 villages were sacked by gunmen and bandits across these states, worsening mass displacement and threatening food security.
“Today marks exactly two years since President Bola Tinubu assumed office with a promise to enhance security. Instead, things have only gotten worse, as the authorities continue to fail to protect the rights to life, physical integrity, liberty, and security of tens of thousands of people across the country,” said Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.
The report highlighted the emergence of new armed groups—including Lakurawa in Sokoto and Kebbi states, and Mamuda in Kwara—while hundreds of villages in Benue, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Plateau, and Zamfara have been overrun by gunmen. In Zamfara alone, over 481 villages have been sacked, with 529 others reportedly under bandit control across 13 local government areas.
The report documented daily attacks, including the massacre of over 20 miners in Gobirawar Chali, Zamfara, on April 24, 2025. It also detailed the destruction of entire communities, with boreholes, clinics, schools, grain reserves, and places of worship razed in Plateau and Benue.
“These attacks deprive people of their right to life, while the survivors are deprived of their livelihoods,” Sanusi said.
According to Amnesty, over 450,000 people in Benue and 65,000 in Plateau have been displaced, with many forced into begging, unable to farm or return to their communities.
Amnesty concluded that the government’s failure to act decisively has fueled a “cycle of impunity” that emboldens armed groups and leaves millions of Nigerians at risk.
“President Tinubu must fulfill his promises to Nigerians and urgently address the resurgence of the nation’s endemic security crisis. 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,” Sanusi added.
