Amnesty International slams Nigerian Government over Plateau massacre, calls for urgent action

Amnesty International has condemned the brutal killing of at least 51 people in Zikke village, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, describing it as an inexcusable failure of security and a painful reminder of the Nigerian government’s inability to protect its citizens.

The organisation’s country director, Isa Sanusi, in a statement released on Monday, expressed outrage over the midnight attack which occurred between 12:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m.

Gunmen reportedly stormed Zikke village, razing homes, looting properties, and slaughtering defenceless residents, including children and the elderly.

“Many of the victims who could not flee, especially the elderly and children, were gruesomely murdered and left in pools of blood,” Sanusi said.

“These security lapses are unacceptable, especially as they occurred just two weeks after another deadly attack claimed 52 lives in the same state.”

Amnesty International criticized the government for its repeated failure to arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of these killings, warning that such negligence continues to fuel impunity and further endanger lives.

Sanusi said that mere condemnation from the authorities is no longer enough. He urged the government to back its words with real action by providing adequate security, ensuring justice for victims, and preventing further bloodshed.

He also took a swipe at President Bola Tinubu’s administration, stating that despite promises of improved security, the situation in Plateau State proves otherwise.

“The so-called new security measures have failed to yield results,” he noted.

Between December 2023 and February 2024, Amnesty International reports that at least 1,336 people were killed in Plateau State alone. Among them were 533 women, 263 children, and 540 men.

Additionally, over 29,500 people were displaced, including 13,093 children and 16,461 women.

Amnesty warned that unless urgent and decisive steps are taken, more communities remain vulnerable to similar attacks.

“The Nigerian authorities must not continue to abandon rural communities to their fate,” Sanusi concluded.