The Defence Headquarters has pushed back against a recent report by Amnesty International that accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect its citizens from widespread violence, calling the claims exaggerated, misleading, and unfair to the efforts of the Armed Forces.
Amnesty, in its report released Wednesday, May 28, alleged that over 10,217 people were killed and 672 villages destroyed in the past two years by armed groups. It singled out Benue and Plateau States as the worst hit, with 6,896 and 2,630 deaths respectively.
But the military, in a strongly worded response on Friday, May 30, said the report overlooked critical facts and painted a distorted picture of the country’s security situation.
“While we acknowledge the importance of civil society in promoting accountability and human rights, we must express strong reservations about the sweeping generalisations, lack of contextual depth, and the failure of the statement to recognise the monumental strides made by the Armed Forces of Nigeria under the current administration,” said Major General Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations.
According to Kangye, the report failed to consider the complex and asymmetric nature of Nigeria’s security challenges, which are deeply rooted in decades of socio-political and economic issues.
He noted that since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, the military has made significant gains on the battlefield.
“So far, we have neutralised over 5,000 terrorists and bandits, recovered more than 350 communities previously under their control, and rescued over 1,200 civilians who were kidnapped,” Kangye stated.
He said ongoing operations in areas like Maru in Zamfara, Bokkos in Plateau, and Logo in Benue have made it possible for many displaced persons to begin returning to their homes under military protection.
“In partnership with local intelligence networks, the military successfully rescued over 1,200 abducted civilians, including women and children, many of whom were kidnapped in mass abduction incidents,” he said.
“Several notorious kidnapping syndicates have been dismantled, and recovery of illegal weapons caches continues weekly.”
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Reacting to Amnesty’s claim that over 2,600 people were killed and 167 communities displaced in Plateau alone, Kangye said the numbers were “a concoction of falsehood.”
He explained, “The state witnessed improvements in security following a reorganisation of deployments and intensified operations since July 2023. There were no mass displacements between 2023 and 2025, contrary to Amnesty’s assertion.”
On the situation in the Northwest, particularly in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Katsina, Kangye insisted the military has been actively engaged.
“In Zamfara alone, the military reported over 2,000 offensive operations in two years, leading to the rescue of 687 abductees, the neutralisation of over 1,500 terrorists, and the destruction of bandit enclaves,” he said.
He also countered claims that areas like Bafarawa and Gebe in Sokoto had been overrun, saying they remain within military reach and are regularly patrolled by troops.
Highlighting Katsina State, Kangye cited a recent operation in which 21 bandits were killed and 77 collaborators arrested.
He noted that troops continue to work closely with local communities through patrols and civil-military cooperation.
As for Benue, the general took strong issue with the claim that nearly 7,000 people were killed, calling it “humongous and misleading.”
“Our records show 693 deaths in Benue during the review period, not 6,896. Furthermore, most of the alleged displacement figures are inconsistent with ground realities. Many IDP camps are now largely empty,” he said.
While the Defence Headquarters acknowledged there are still challenges, it urged civil society organisations like Amnesty to present balanced and fact-based reports that reflect both the difficulties on the ground and the efforts being made to overcome them.