Amnesty International, a global human rights organization, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of abandoning rural communities in Northern Nigeria to the mercy of violent gunmen. The group claims that these criminals have killed hundreds of Nigerians and displaced thousands more.
Amnesty International Nigeria reported that over 150 villages in Zamfara State have been overrun, while more than 200,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in Katsina State.
The organization highlighted that rural communities in Benue, Katsina, Sokoto, Niger, and Zamfara states are left defenseless as heavily armed gunmen invade their villages on motorcycles, attacking residents with impunity. These criminals are reportedly responsible for widespread violence, including shooting people at random, raping women, burning homes, stealing livestock, destroying crops, and kidnapping villagers for ransom.
Amnesty International criticized the Nigerian government for failing to stop the escalating violence, which is costing lives and livelihoods. The organization warned that without urgent intervention, the death toll will continue to rise.
“The Nigerian authorities have abandoned rural communities to the mercy of these gunmen who have killed hundreds in the northern region of the country,” Amnesty International stated. “We have documented a disturbing increase in attacks and kidnappings across several states.”
The group pointed out that despite repeated claims by the President and security leaders that measures are being taken to stop the violence, nothing has changed. “It seems people are living from one bloodshed to the next,” the organization added.
In the affected regions, communities are under constant siege. Gunmen arrive in villages on dozens of motorcycles, heavily armed, and proceed to unleash terror. They shoot indiscriminately, rape women, set homes on fire, steal cattle, ruin crops, and abduct residents for ransom.
Amnesty International emphasized the government’s duty to protect its citizens nationwide, highlighting the rising death toll in Northern Nigeria as evidence of its failure. The ongoing violence has forced many farmers and their families to flee, with over 150 villages in Zamfara State already overrun by gunmen. In Katsina State, more than 200,000 people have been displaced, many of whom are now living with relatives or in incomplete buildings in urban areas.
The frequent attacks and ransom kidnappings have pushed some northern states to the brink of a major humanitarian crisis. The organization concluded that the Nigerian government’s inability to curb the violence is causing immense loss of life and livelihoods, and unless immediate action is taken, the situation will only worsen.
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