Insecurity: 2,600 Dead, 50 Communities Record 135 Attacks In Benue — Amnesty International

According to Amnesty International, more than 2,600 people have lost their lives due to insecurity in Benue State, with over 50 rural communities experiencing a total of 135 attacks in the past year.

On Wednesday, the organization unveiled information regarding the humanitarian crisis in Benue State. Amnesty reported that the data covered the period from January 2023 to February 2024 and highlighted that a significant number of casualties were women and children.

The report revealed that 18 out of the 23 Local Government Areas were impacted by insecurity, resulting in mass displacement, kidnappings, and incidents of rape.

Additionally, armed assailants have destroyed more than 55 schools and targeted over 23 local markets in the region.

Furthermore, a significant majority of farmers in Agatu, Guma, and Gwer West have been forced from their homes, leaving them without access to their land or any means of supporting themselves.

This situation is exacerbating Nigeria’s existing food shortages, with food prices skyrocketing by up to 40% in the past year.

Inflation has also surged to 33.95% in May, as reported by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS), following the removal of petrol subsidies by President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023.

The organization has urged the government to intervene and investigate these attacks, ensuring justice for the victims as more than 489,245 internally displaced persons have sought refuge in camps since March 2023.

In December of last year, a group called for justice for those affected by a Nigerian military attack on civilians. The group criticized the army’s justification for the airstrike on the Tudun Biri community in northwest Kaduna State as unacceptable.

Isa Sanusi, the leader of Amnesty International in Nigeria, emphasized the importance of providing victims and their families with proper access to justice and effective solutions. The military later acknowledged that the airstrike on December 3rd was an error.

The Defence Headquarters asserted that soldiers aimed at suspected bandits hiding within the community. The National Emergency Management Agency reported 85 fatalities from the incident, while survivors claimed 120 individuals were laid to rest.

Additionally, in February, the Nigerian branch cautioned against government efforts to control social media, citing potential restrictions on freedom of speech.

This caution followed President Tinubu’s chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila’s statement labeling social media as a threat that required regulation.