The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has rubbished a recent report by Amnesty International on the spate of killings in Nigeria, particularly in the past two years under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The DHQ, in a statement on Friday, by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, said Amnesty made sweeping generalizations without recourse to the activities and achievements of the Nigerian Armed Forces in combating crimes and terrorism in the country.
As earlier reported by Naijaonpoint, Amnesty International said that at least 10,217 people have been killed and 672 villages sacked in the past two years, noting that Benue State recorded the highest number of deaths with 6,896 people killed, followed by Plateau State with 2,630 deaths.
The human rights organization also accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect citizens from relentless attacks by armed groups and bandits.
However, Kangye, in response, disagreed with the report by the group.
He noted that while the role of civil society organizations in promoting accountability is recognized, the report failed to recognize the asymmetric nature of the threats facing the country and the complex socio-political context within which the Armed Forces operate.
“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.
“The statement paints a bleak and generalised picture of national insecurity, largely ignoring the asymmetric and evolving nature of modern threats, especially those rooted in decades of socio-political and economic complexities. While there are undeniable challenges in specific regions, DHQ,” Kangye said.
The DHQ added that the military has recorded several operational victories since President Bola Tinubu assumed power in May 2023.
He pointed out that the security forces have killed over 5,000 insurgents and bandits, recovered more than 350 communities previously under terrorist control, and rescued over 1,200 kidnapped civilians within the period under consideration.
“The sustained presence of troops in areas such as Maru (Zamfara), Bokkos (Plateau), and Logo (Benue) has enabled displaced persons to begin returning home under military protection.
“Rescue Operations and Hostage Recovery. 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.
“Several notorious kidnapping syndicates have been dismantled, and recovery of illegal weapons caches continues weekly,” he added.
On the claim by Amnesty that 2,630 people were killed and 167 communities displaced in Plateau State in the last two years, Kangye described the data as totally false.
He said there had been no displacement between 2023 and 2025, adding that Amnesty also exaggerated its reports on the Northwest, particularly in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Katsina States.
“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.
“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.
“Contrary to claims, areas such as Bafarawa and Gebe in Sokoto are within reach of military Forward Operating Bases, and joint operations have cleared bandit strongholds,” the statement added.
He also contested the claim that 6,896 people were killed in Benue State, 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,” the statement said.