Deborah Akinyosoye
As President Bola Tinubu celebrates his second year in office, a report by Amnesty International Nigeria seems to cast a shadow on celebrations, as it shows that at least 10,217 people have been killed since he assumed office in 2023.
The human rights organisation stated that the deaths were caused by attacks from gunmen, bandits and other armed groups, with Benue, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara affected.
It said Benue State accounts for the highest death toll of 6,896, followed by Plateau State, where 2,630 people were killed.
The organisation said the failure of the Nigerian government to protect lives and property from daily attacks by armed groups and bandits has cost thousands of lives and created a potential humanitarian crisis across many northern states.
Meanwhile, the National Counter Terrorism Centre, Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC – ONSA) has dismissed the report by Amnesty International Nigeria on the country’s security challenges in the last two years.
In a statement, the Coordinator of the NCTC-ONSA, Maj Gen Adamu Garba Laka, described several of the figures and assertions contained in the report as inconsistent with verified data in possession of the centre.
“The report, in its current form, presents an overly alarming narrative which does not reflect the broader realities on the ground, and which risks misinforming the public, damaging the international image of the country, and inadvertently encouraging terrorists and criminal elements by exaggerating the impact of their atrocities,” he said.
Laka invited Amnesty International Nigeria for a meeting to dissect the report in order to avoid misleading the public.
He said the meeting will provide an opportunity for both parties to review the contents of the report, reconcile discrepancies, and discuss ongoing security efforts as well as challenges faced in the protection of lives and property across the country.
“While we recognise and value the role of Civil Society Organisations in documenting human rights concerns, such efforts must be pursued with accuracy, objectivity, and a careful understanding of the prevailing national security context. Therefore, we strongly advise that the said report be withheld from publication, pending a thorough engagement to address the evident gaps and potential misinformation contained therein,” he said.
– Security challenge can’t be solved in a day – Expert –
A security expert, Yemi Adeyemi, has called for patience with the Tinubu administration, saying the security challenges it is facing were inherited and cannot be solved in a day.
He said, “Let’s be frank with ourselves. The Tinubu administration is not the problem. If the position is occupied by someone else, that person will have this same problem. The former President faced the same problem, and it was not resolved before Tinubu took over the government. It cannot be resolved in a day, but gradually. Remember, he inherited the security challenge and he’s trying his best to find the solution to it. I will be the last person to condemn the administration.”
He further stated, “The Minister of Defence and other security chiefs have not done anything to assist the President concerning security. All the security advisers are not doing anything. There is nothing new in their possession to counter the terrorists. Nigeria does not have drones that can fly beyond three hours.”