Nigeria: Amnesty criticizes security situation

The human rights organization Amnesty International is warning of a humanitarian crisis in Nigeria . According to a report published on Thursday, more than 10,000 people have been murdered since President Bola Tinubu took office two years ago. The main reason for this is attacks by armed groups, which have also destroyed churches and granaries. With almost 7,000 deaths, the state of Benue in central Nigeria (population: 230 million) has suffered particularly high casualties. Attacks have also triggered a wave of displacement. According to Amnesty International, 450,000 people have been documented as internally displaced people. The suspected perpetrators include armed cattle herders. The victims are almost exclusively farmers. The consequences: fields are no longer cultivated. According to the organization, the state of Zamfara in the northwest was also particularly hard hit by violence. There were sometimes several attacks there in the same day. 725 villages are under the control of bandits. "Today marks exactly two years since President Bola Tinubu took office with the promise of improving security. Instead, the situation has only worsened," criticized Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International in Nigeria. The authorities are unable to protect the security of tens of thousands of people. The analysis does not include attacks by the Islamist terrorist groups Boko Haram and ISWAP (Islamic State in West Africa Province), which are primarily active in the northeast of the country. In the village of Malam Karanti, located in Borno State, at least 23 fishermen and farmers were murdered in mid-May, according to Nigerian media.