According to reports by the Nigerian arm of Amnesty International, at least 1,126 villagers were killed by bandits while no less than 380 persons were kidnapped from January to June 2020 in Nigeria, Daily Times gathered.
In the report, Amnesty International blamed the killings on the nonchalant attitude of the government which gave gunmen an easy ride on the communities affected.
Amnesty International also blamed the Nigerian Government for failure to bring perpetrators to book.
AI also revealed that at least 77 people have been killed since January 2020 in the ongoing communal clashes between the Jukun and Tiv ethnic groups in Taraba State, North-East Nigeria.
According to the report, the most affected communities are villages in the South of Kaduna State where armed men murdered at least 366 people in multiple attacks between January and July 2020.
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Some victims of the recent attacks in Southern Kaduna told Amnesty International that security forces are always nowhere to be found during most of the attacks, arriving only hours after the attackers had left. If they ever show up — which happens on rare occasions — they lack the ammunitions to wade into the crisis.
A witness to an attack in Unguwan Magaji in southern of Kaduna said, “During the attack, our leaders called and informed the soldiers that the attackers are in the village, so the soldiers did not waste time and they came. But when they came and saw the type of ammunitions the attackers had, they left. The following morning, so many soldiers came with their Hilux pick-up trucks to see the dead bodies.”
“Terrifying attacks on rural communities in the North of Nigeria have been going on for years. The ongoing failure of security forces to take sufficient steps to protect villagers from these predictable attacks is utterly shameful,” said Osai Ojigho, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria.
“In addition to the security forces’ failure to heed warnings or respond in time to save lives, the fact that no perpetrators have been brought to justice leaves rural communities feeling completely exposed. The President claims he has repeatedly tasked security agencies to end the killing so that Nigerians can go to bed with their eyes closed, but clearly nothing has changed,” Ojigho added.
Amnesty International in the report also disclosed that the violence has forced many farmers and their families to flee their homes, stating that in Katsina State at least 33,130 people were now in displacement camps, and others have gone to stay with relatives in urban areas.
“Thousands of farmers could not cultivate their farms during the 2020 rain season because of fear of attacks or abduction.
“These attacks have caused massive displacement and food insecurity in the affected states. The majority of the people in these communities depend on farming for their livelihoods, but they are now too afraid to go to their fields,” said Ojigho.
“This is pushing the region to the brink of a major humanitarian crisis. The Nigerian authorities’ failure to stem the violence is costing people’s lives and livelihoods, and without immediate action, many more lives may be lost,” she added.
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