Amnesty International (AI) says
at least 1813 people have been murdered in attacks across 17 states since
January 2018, more than double of those killed in 2017.
The organisation said the federal
government is not doing enough to address the killings, especially in the
northern part of the country.
“Independently verified estimated
figures indicate that since January 2018 at least 1813 people have been
murdered in 17 states, which is double the 894 people killed in 2017,” AI said
in a statement released on Thursday.
Amnesty said by failing to hold
murderers to account, Nigerian authorities are encouraging impunity, which is
fueling rising insecurity across the country.
“We are gravely concerned about
the rising spate of killings across the country, especially the communal
clashes between farmers and herders and attacks by bandits across at least 17
states,” said Osai Ojigho, director of AI in Nigeria.
“The authorities have a
responsibility to protect lives and properties, but they are clearly not doing
enough going by what is happening.”
Ojigho said the latest incident
in Plateau state, where armed gunmen attacked and killed over 80 villagers,
should be investigated.
AI said the “government must
answer these questions: who are these attackers, where do they come from, where
do they go after attacks, who arms them, why is security forces’ response time
very slow?”
AI said it is currently
investigating the rising insecurity that has resulted in the increase in
killings across Nigeria.
“Amnesty International’s
investigations show worrying details of how frequently the security forces
failed to protect villagers. In all cases Amnesty International investigated,
the attackers, usually arriving in their hundreds spend hours killing people
and setting houses on fire and then disappeared without a trace,” the statement
read.
“We are at the peak of farming
season, and communities affected by this wave of violence are largely agrarian.
But because of fear of attacks they have either been displaced or unable to
cultivate their farms, therefore their major source of food and income
threatened by the attacks.”
The organisation urged the
government to make arrests and bring to justice those responsible for the
attacks.
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