Amnesty International accused of inflating death toll in Plateau attacks

An international organisation campaign for the protection of human rights, Amnesty International (AI), has been accused of grossly exaggerating and misleading the public regarding its reports on the recent killings in Plateau State.

The North-Central state has come under renewed attacks in recent weeks. Gunmen launched brutal assaults on Ruwi, Hurti, and Tadai communities in Bokkos Local Government Area (LGA), as well as Manguna and Dafo villages last week, resulting in killings and widespread destruction of property.

In a similar vein, assailants attacked Zikke village in Bassa LGA in the early hours of Monday, April 14, 2025, opening fire on sleeping residents.

Amid these renewed attacks, AI released a report stating that 1,336 people have been killed in Plateau in the last three months alone.

However, a civil society organisation based in Jos, Coalition for Peace and Security Monitoring in Nigeria (CPSMN), has condemned the report, describing it as a detachment from reality.

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In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its Executive Director, Pastor John Bulus, CPSMN accused AI of fanning the flames of fear and tension with “fabricated figures and alarmist claims” that do not reflect the true situation on the ground.

“We strongly reject the distorted narrative pushed by Amnesty International. Their claim that 1,336 people were killed in just three months in Plateau State is not only outrageous but completely unverified. Where is their evidence? Who gave them these numbers?” Bulus queried.

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The group claimed that it has been on the ground in Zikke and other affected communities, assessing the situation, supporting survivors, and working closely with local leaders and security agencies.

It added that AI doesn't have a physical presence in any of the affected communities and wondered how the international body was able to gather the figure it released.

“While we acknowledge the attack in Zikke and mourn the lives lost, we will not sit back and allow a foreign NGO with no presence here to weaponise our pain for global headlines,” the statement said.

According to Bulus, the federal and Plateau State governments have continued to intensify security operations in volatile areas, noting that collaborative efforts between the military, police, and local vigilante groups have significantly reduced the scale of violence in recent months.

“It is irresponsible and dangerous for Amnesty International to overlook these efforts and spread narratives that only embolden criminals and discourage citizens. Our communities are not abandoned — they are being protected.”

He also criticised Amnesty’s call for independent investigations, saying the group has no credibility to make such demands when it has consistently ignored government responses and local efforts at peacebuilding.

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“We challenge Amnesty International to provide a list of the names, dates, and locations of the so-called 1,336 victims. Until then, we consider their report nothing more than a sensational, data-free attack on the Nigerian state,” the CPSMN declared.

The group further urged the international community to disregard Amnesty’s “reckless propaganda” and instead support homegrown solutions being championed by civil society, religious leaders, and security stakeholders on the Plateau.

“Nigeria needs partners, not provokers. The people of Plateau State need healing and unity — not global organisations stoking division from a distance,” Bulus concluded.