Amnesty International has raised alarm over the escalating violence in Plateau State, decrying the government’s failure to protect citizens amid repeated deadly attacks.
In a strongly worded statement, the rights organisation reported that 17 people were killed on Wednesday in Chirang village, Bokkos Local Government Area, after armed men ambushed travellers returning from a local market. The incident occurred just days after the mass killing of 27 people in Riyom Local Government Area, whose victims were recently given a mass burial.
According to Amnesty, communities across Plateau are being subjected to unrelenting violence, moving “from one mass burial to another,” while attackers operate with near-total impunity.
“The patterns of these brutal attacks clearly indicate that authorities have abandoned rural communities to armed groups,” Amnesty International said.
The organisation warned that the continuous rise in the death toll and lack of accountability points to a gross failure by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to uphold its constitutional duty of protecting lives.
“Condemning these atrocities through media statements is not enough. The Nigerian authorities must demonstrate genuine commitment by ensuring justice and accountability,” Amnesty stated.
The group emphasised that the Nigerian government is bound by international human rights law, regional treaties, and its own constitution to protect the right to life and security of every citizen—without discrimination.
Amnesty International urged immediate and concrete action to stop the killings and hold perpetrators accountable, warning that continued inaction would only embolden more violence.
