No fewer 10,000 people have been killed and hundreds of communities destroyed in Nigeria since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu began his tenure two years ago, Amnesty International (AI) has reported.
In its assessment of Tinubu’s two years on Thursday, AI warned of a “looming humanitarian crisis” and escalating insecurity across several Northern states.
In its damning new report released to mark the second anniversary of Tinubu’s presidency, the global human rights watchdog said its investigation documented the killings of at least 10,217 people in armed attacks in Benue, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto, and Zamfara states since May 29, 2023.
Benue State, according to Amnesty, recorded the highest number of deaths with 6,896 killed, followed by Plateau with 2,630 fatalities. The report said 672 villages were sacked by gunmen and bandits across these states, deepening 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 the security of tens of thousands of people across the country,” said Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.
The report noted that in the two years since President Tinubu’s government assumed power, new armed groups have emerged including Lakurawa in Sokoto and Kebbi state, and Mamuda in Kwara state, while hundreds of villages have been sacked by gunmen in Benue, Borno, Katsina, Sokoto, Plateau and Zamfara.
In Zamfara State, over 481 villages have been sacked, with 529 others under the control of bandits across 13 local government areas, Amnesty said.
The group documented daily attacks, including a massacre of over 20 miners in Gobirawar Chali on April 24, 2025.
The report also highlighted atrocities in Plateau and Benue, where entire communities were razed and critical infrastructure such as boreholes, clinics, schools, grain reserves and places of worship destroyed.
“These attacks deprive people of their right to life while the survivors are deprived of their livelihood,” Sanusi said.
More than 450,000 people in Benue and 65,000 in Plateau have been displaced, many now resorting to 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 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,” said Sanusi.
