Amnesty International on Sunday condemned the attacks in three Nigerian northern states of Niger, Plateau and Kaduna.
The attacks took place in Borgu Local Government Area (LGA), Niger State, Qua’an-Pan LGA in Plateau State, and Kachia LGA in Kaduna State. Both Niger and Plateau are in North-central Nigeria while Kaduna is in the north-western region of the country.
In a post shared on its official X page, the organisation said these attacks are “an indication of the utter failure of the Nigerian authorities to protect lives.”
On Saturday, gunmen killed at least 30 people and abducted an unknown number of persons at Kasuwan Daji Kabe District, Borgu LGA in Niger State.
The attack was reportedly carried out by bandits operating from the Kainji Lake National Park. Beyond the killings and abductions, the attackers burned the market and carted away food and other items.
Similarly, on the same day, assailants attacked the Sabon Kaura community in Kaduna State, killing four members of the same family, Amnesty International said.
A day prior, the organisation documented the deaths of seven persons by gunmen in Qua’an-Pan LGA, Plateau State. According to Amnesty International, the gunmen “conducted a house-to-house search and kill operation” at Bong Village.
The organisation criticised the government’s failure to take proactive measures against insecurity, particularly in rural areas.
“The Nigerian authorities have left rural communities at the mercy of rampaging gunmen who have killed thousands of people in the north of the country since the beginning of 2020.
The government has an obligation to protect its population. The rising death toll in the north of Nigeria shows just how badly the authorities are failing in this responsibility.”
According to the organisation, some villagers felt abandoned by the government and left “at the mercy of their attackers.”
PREMIUM TIMES reported that in 2025, Nigeria’s insecurity emerged as a major contributor to human rights abuses. By impeding the freedom of movement, education, socio-economic, and cultural rights, this instability raised questions about Nigeria’s commitment to security.
The attacks on communities generated tension across Nigeria and brought the widespread insecurity in the country under the global spotlight.
The wave of attacks at the start of the year casts doubt on the government’s commitment to curbing the violence. Despite President Bola Tinubu’s frequent directives to security agencies to end the killings, Amnesty International argues, these orders have yielded no results.
