ABUJA, Nigeria — At least 10,217 people were killed in attacks by armed groups during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s first two years in office, Amnesty International has said.
The deaths were recorded across Benue, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara states, according to an investigation by the international human rights organisation.
Amnesty restated its findings on Monday, August 24, 2026, as it renewed criticism of the federal government’s response to persistent violence in several parts of the country.
Benue State recorded the largest number of deaths, the organisation said. At least 2,630 people were killed in Plateau State during the period examined.
“It is now over three years since President Bola Tinubu assumed office with a promise to enhance security,” Amnesty said in its latest statement.
“Instead, things have only gotten worse, as the authorities continue to fail to protect the rights to life, physical integrity, liberty and the security of tens of thousands of people across the country.”
The death toll came from an Amnesty investigation released at the end of Tinubu’s second year in office. It covered killings between his inauguration in May 2023 and May 2025.
Armed Groups Expand Their Reach
Amnesty said new armed organisations emerged during the administration’s first two years, adding to the security threats already confronting communities.
The organisation identified Lakurawa, which has operated in Sokoto and Kebbi states, and Mamuda, an armed group reported in Kwara State.
Hundreds of villages have been overrun by gunmen in Benue, Borno, Katsina, Plateau, Sokoto and Zamfara states, Amnesty said. Attacks have killed residents, forced families from their homes and disrupted farming and trade.
The organisation warned that the violence was contributing to an emerging humanitarian crisis in affected communities.
“The majority of those displaced in Plateau and Katsina States told Amnesty International that they had to resort to begging to survive daily life,” the group said.
In Zamfara State’s Dangulbi district, insecurity has prevented farmers from taking their produce to market, according to Amnesty.
The organisation said “farmers have to watch their harvest of sweet potatoes rot because bandits have prevented them from transporting them to the nearest market.”
Amnesty Calls for Accountability
Amnesty said international human rights law required Nigerian authorities to protect lives and investigate the attacks.
The government also has an obligation to hold suspected perpetrators accountable and ensure that victims can obtain justice and effective remedies, the organisation said.
“Again and again, the Nigerian authorities are failing to live up to these obligations,” Amnesty stated.
The organisation said the continuing killings, displacement and destruction demonstrated that the security measures adopted by the authorities had not adequately protected vulnerable communities.
