At least 323 people were killed in attacks on rural communities across six northern states within the first 20 days of February, Amnesty International has said.
In a statement posted on Saturday, the rights group said the killings occurred in Benue State, Katsina State, Kwara State, Kebbi State, Niger State and Zamfara State.
The organisation said the rising death toll highlights what it described as the government’s failure to curb years of deadly attacks by armed groups.
According to the group, “incessant killings and the shocking failure of the authorities to end them and bring suspected perpetrators to justice have been and continues to be a threat to the right to life in Nigeria.”
This newspaper gathers that gunmen frequently storm villages on motorcycles, shooting residents, abducting women and girls, burning homes, stealing livestock and kidnapping victims for ransom.
The organisation also claimed that some communities received warning letters prior to recent attacks, adding that certain assaults lasted for hours.
Citing a case in Niger State, Amnesty said one attack reportedly began around 3:00 a.m. and continued until about 10:00 a.m., with villagers alleging they were left unprotected.
The group stressed that the government has a constitutional duty to safeguard lives and property, warning that the escalating violence reflects deepening insecurity in the region.
