…Benue, Plateau worst hit as villages are razed, survivors starve, and displaced populations soar
Two years after President Bola Tinubu assumed office with promises to restore national security, Amnesty International has revealed that at least 10,217 people have been killed in armed attacks across seven northern states.
The organisation warns that a full-blown humanitarian crisis is unfolding, especially in Benue and Plateau states, where thousands of lives have been lost and hundreds of villages have been wiped out.
In a new investigation released, the human rights watchdog condemned what it described as the government’s “shocking failure” to protect lives and property in the face of daily attacks by gunmen, insurgents, and bandits.
Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, said President Tinubu’s tenure so far has only seen worsening violence and mass displacement.
Today marks exactly two years since President Bola Tinubu assumed office with a promise to enhance security. Instead, things have only gotten worse.
“The authorities continue to fail to protect the rights to life, physical integrity, liberty, and security of tens of thousands across the country”, Sanusi stated.
Amnesty’s findings are grim, as Benue State alone accounted for 6,896 of the total death toll, over two-thirds of the total fatalities. Plateau State followed with 2,630 deaths.
The attacks in Benue were particularly vicious and widespread, affecting all 23 local government areas.
“Villages were razed in Ukum, Logo, Katsina-Ala, Gwer West, and others. Amnesty reported that gunmen not only killed residents but also destroyed essential infrastructure, clinics, schools, boreholes, grain reserves, and places of worship.
Over 148 villages were sacked in seven Benue LGAs, leaving 450,000 people displaced.
“These attacks deprive people of their right to life while the survivors are deprived of their livelihood,” Sanusi said.
Plateau State, according to him, saw coordinated and brutal attacks, particularly in Bokkos LGA, where entire families were slaughtered.
Between March 27 and April 2, 2025, five communities were targeted, which include Daffo, Gwande, Hurti, Manguna, and Ruwi.
“In total, 167 rural communities in eight LGAs—including Bassa, Mangu, Jos East and South—were attacked. Over 65,000 residents have been displaced, many of them multiple times”, the report said.
Amnesty’s report paints an equally dire picture in Zamfara, where gunmen operate with impunity.
“At least 273 people have been killed and 467 abducted in the last two years alone. Attacks occur almost daily, and 481 villages have been sacked, with another 529 under bandit control across 13 local government areas.
“In Maru LGA, more than 20 miners were killed in a single incident at Gobirawar Chali on April 24. In Katsina, at least 294 people were killed and 306 abducted, mostly women and girls, between May 2023 and May 2025.
“Sokoto State is also witnessing a surge in violence. Between May 9 and 11, gunmen overran four villages in Isa LGA—Bafarawa, Gebe, Kamarawa, and others—displacing thousands. Survivors now struggle to feed themselves”, he added.
Victims across these states told Amnesty that armed groups now extort money through phone calls, threatening death for non-compliance.
“In Zamfara, we just wait for the next attack. The government only issues media statements after we are attacked. That is all they do”, one resident told investigators.
The report highlights the emergence of new armed groups such as Lakurawa in Sokoto and Kebbi states, and Mamuda in Kwara.
These groups, according to Amnesty, have intensified the cycle of violence, leading to widespread displacement and hunger.
Farmers in affected areas, once the backbone of local economies, are now unable to cultivate or sell their produce.
“In Zamfara’s Dangulbi district, farmers watched their sweet potatoes rot in the fields, unable to access markets due to insecurity.
“In Kebbi, Lakurawa militants were responsible for at least 70 deaths in 22 separate attacks. Amnesty warns that unless decisive action is taken, the situation could spiral even further out of control”, it stated.
It accuses Nigerian authorities of abandoning rural populations and fostering a culture of impunity by failing to arrest or prosecute attackers.
“The only relationship between us and the government is that they issue media statements after we are attacked and killed. When the next attack comes, they will issue another empty statement”, said a resident of Maru LGA in Zamfara
According to Amnesty, this repeated failure to hold perpetrators accountable has encouraged armed groups to escalate their attacks.
Under international human rights law, governments are required to protect their citizens and ensure justice for victims. But Amnesty says Nigeria’s response has fallen far short of these obligations.
“Authorities must match their words with serious and concrete action. The failure to hold perpetrators accountable is fueling a cycle of impunity that is making everyone feel unsafe”, Sanusi said.
As Nigeria teeters on the edge of a wider humanitarian emergency, Amnesty International is urging President Tinubu to revisit and reform his administration’s security approach.
“Time is running out. Gunmen, bandits, and insurgents are ramping up attacks daily. The nationwide bloodshed must end now”, Sanusi warned.
