Over 10,000 dead in two years of attacks in northern and central Nigeria
An investigation by Amnesty International reveals that more than 10,000 people have lost their lives over the past two years due to violent attacks by jihadist groups and criminal gangs across several states in northern and central Nigeria.
Isa Sanusi, Amnesty International’s director in Nigeria, urged President Bola Tinubu to fulfill his promises and urgently address the escalating security crisis. Sanusi emphasized that recent attacks by Boko Haram and other armed factions indicate that current government security measures are failing.
Since Tinubu took office in May 2023, at least 10,200 deaths have been reported in Benue, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto, and Zamfara states. The Middle Belt states of Benue and Plateau suffered the heaviest tolls, with approximately 6,900 and 2,600 casualties respectively.
While jihadist violence has long affected northern Nigeria, Amnesty reports a surge in attacks both in the north and central regions. In central Nigeria, the violence often stems from conflicts over land between sedentary farming communities and nomadic herders, compounded by ethnic tensions and competition for natural resources.
Unresolved massacres in April alone resulted in over 150 deaths in Plateau and Benue states. Amnesty documented hundreds of villages being attacked, burned, and abandoned. Witnesses described summary executions, large-scale kidnappings often targeting women and children, and systematic destruction of essential infrastructure such as schools, wells, and health centers.
In some areas, particularly Zamfara, armed gangs have looted more than 630 villages in two years and imposed taxes on villagers.
