More than 10,000 Nigerians have been killed by armed groups in various parts of the country since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office two years ago, according to a new report by Amnesty International.
In the report released on Thursday, the human rights group said 10,217 people were killed between May 2023 and May 2025, with Benue and Plateau states recording the highest death tolls. Benue tops the list with 6,896 deaths, followed by Plateau with at least 2,630.
“This is a clear failure by the government to protect lives and ensure basic human rights,” said Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria. “President Tinubu came into office promising improved security, but the situation has only worsened.”
Sanusi called on the federal government to urgently tackle the resurgence of insecurity, citing a rise in violence from both known and emerging armed groups. New groups like *Lakurawa* in Sokoto and Kebbi, and *Mamuda* in Kwara, have launched repeated attacks on rural communities, causing deaths and mass displacement.
In Zamfara alone, 638 villages have been destroyed while 725 remain under the control of bandits. Over the past two years, at least 273 people were killed and 467 abducted in the state. The situation in Maru Local Government Area has been particularly deadly, including the killing of more than 20 miners on April 24 in Gobirawar Chali.
The report also highlighted attacks in Plateau’s Bokkos area and Benue’s rural councils, where schools, boreholes, clinics, and grain reserves have been destroyed. All 23 local government areas of Benue have come under attack, with more than 450,000 residents displaced.
In Plateau, 38 herder-related attacks have displaced about 65,000 people. Some internally displaced persons (IDPs) have even been attacked in their temporary camps.
“The humanitarian crisis is deepening,” said Sanusi. “Farmers can’t access their land. In places like Zamfara’s Dangulbi district, they can’t even move their sweet potatoes to market because of fear of bandits.”
Amnesty also noted that gunmen have begun demanding levies via phone threats in Sokoto, Zamfara, and Katsina. Failure to pay often results in death or abduction.
Criticism of the federal government’s response is growing. A resident in Zamfara told Amnesty: “The government only releases statements after each attack. Nothing changes.”
Under international law, Nigeria is obligated to protect its citizens, punish perpetrators, and compensate victims. But Amnesty insists the government has failed in these duties.
“Enough is enough,” Sanusi said. “The authorities must go beyond words and act decisively to stop these killings and restore safety to rural communities.”
Amnesty International has monitored Nigeria’s security crisis since 2016 and says impunity is fueling more violence by the day.
