"The almost daily nationwide bloodshed must end now," Amnesty International says
Amnesty International has called on President Bola Tinubu to take urgent and decisive steps to halt the wave of killings across Nigeria, warning that continued inaction was costing lives and deepening insecurity.
In a statement on the recent Palm Sunday attack in Angwan Rukuba, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, the organisation said the Nigerian authorities must investigate what it described as "inexcusable security lapses" that enabled gunmen to carry out the attack.
The rights group said the rising death toll, now put at over 30 by residents and local sources, highlights the growing vulnerability of communities to violent attacks.
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"The attack and timing show how increasingly vulnerable people are to being killed anywhere and anytime," Amnesty said, noting that more bodies were still being recovered and taken to morgues days after the incident.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported that gunmen stormed Angwan Rukuba on Sunday evening, posing as customers at a beer parlour before opening fire on residents. Witnesses said the attackers later moved through nearby paths, shooting at people as they fled, before escaping toward a hillside.
The attack triggered reprisal violence in parts of Jos North, leading to further casualties and prompting the Plateau State Government to impose a 48-hour curfew. The University of Jos also postponed examinations, while schools around the affected community shut down due to the tension.
Amnesty said the pattern of repeated attacks across Plateau and other states shows that communities are being left exposed.
"Patterns of recent deadly attacks on rural and urban areas of Plateau State clearly show that Nigerian authorities have left these communities at the mercy of rampaging gunmen," the organisation said.
It added that similar incidents in Benue, Zamfara and Kebbi states reinforce concerns that the protection of lives and property is not being treated as a priority.
The group criticised what it described as a reliance on official statements without corresponding action, urging authorities to move beyond condemnation.
"Issuing statements condemning the attacks is not enough. Genuine commitment must be demonstrated by protecting lives, holding perpetrators accountable and ensuring justice," it said.
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The organisation warned that without immediate and effective intervention, the cycle of violence could worsen, with more lives at risk across affected communities.
