Amnesty says over 10,000 killed in two years in north, central Nigeria

Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (L) delivers a speech during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the creation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at Eko Hotel in Lagos on May 28, 2025. [AFP]

The number of people killed in violence committed by jihadist groups and criminal gangs topped over 10,000 in two years in central and northern Nigeria, Amnesty International said Thursday.

In a report, the global rights group blamed the government of President Bola Tinubu for failure to protect people in swathes of the country hit by raids by jihadists, and criminal gangs known as "bandits" who attack villages, killing and kidnapping residents.

However, on Thursday, Tinubu insisted that troops deployed in the flashpoints have succeeded in restoring order and tackling threats posed by the militant groups.

Massacres also occur in central Nigeria's so-called Middle Belt where herders and farmers often clash over land access, with the attacks often taking on a religious or ethnic dimension.

Amnesty's investigation showed 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".

Benue state, which lies in the central region, suffered the heaviest death toll of 6,896, followed by Plateau state, where 2,630 people were killed, Amnesty said in a report released to coincide with Tinubu's first two years in office.

Of the seven states Amnesty investigated, Borno -- the epicentre of jihadist violence which has raged in northeast Nigeria since 2009 -- was not included.

When Tinubu came to power two years ago, he vowed that dealing with insecurity was one of the main challenges for his government.

"Instead, things have only gotten worse, as 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," said Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria.

Northern states that jihadists and other criminal groups have targeted for several years have seen an upsurge in attacks in recent months.

Sanusi said 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".

In his second year anniversary speech, Tinubu said Nigerian troops have "restored order, reducing and eliminating threats to lives and livelihoods" in violence-wracked regions".

"With the successes achieved, farmers are back tilling the land to feed us. Highways hitherto dangerous for travellers have become safer," he added.

His government is also facing simmering separatist tensions in the southeast.