Amnesty International has strongly condemned the brutal killing of the Chief Imam of Maru Jumma’a Mosque, Alkali Salihu Suleiman, and his three children by armed bandits in Zamfara State, despite the payment of a significant portion of the ransom demanded for their release.
The 79-year-old cleric and his children were abducted in March during the Ramadan fasting period. Although the family reportedly paid ₦11 million out of the ₦20 million ransom demanded by the kidnappers, they were killed while still in captivity. Amnesty International disclosed that while in the custody of the abductors, the victims were subjected to relentless torture, including routine beatings, deprivation of food and water, and other forms of inhumane treatment.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Amnesty International decried the persistent failure of Nigerian authorities to protect lives and property, citing a long-standing pattern of atrocities carried out by armed groups. These include widespread killings, kidnappings, amputations, sexual violence, and the destruction of entire communities in the northern region of the country.
“For years, terrifying attacks on rural communities in northern Nigeria have continued unabated. The current failure of security forces to take sufficient steps to protect villagers from these predictable attacks is utterly shameful and unacceptable,” the organisation stated. It criticised both the inability of security forces to act on warnings of imminent attacks and their consistent failure to respond swiftly enough to save lives.
Amnesty International further expressed concern that no perpetrators have been brought to justice, leaving rural populations feeling exposed, abandoned, and helpless. The organisation noted that the near-daily attacks across Zamfara and neighbouring states reflect a disturbing lack of an effective security strategy by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“President Tinubu promised to tackle insecurity nationwide, but so far, the security of lives appears to be low on the list of his government’s priorities,” the statement concluded.
Amnesty International called for urgent, decisive action to end the reign of terror by armed groups and to restore the rule of law in affected regions.
