By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
Amnesty International has strongly condemns the killing of at least 51 people last night when gunmen invaded Zikke village of Bassa LGA, Plateau State. Along the way the gunmen also razed villages and looted homes, destroying everything on their path.
Many of the victims of last’s deadly attack that could not run — including children and the elderly — were slaughtered and left in pools of blood. The inexcusable security lapses that enabled this horrific attacks, two weeks after the killing of 52 people, must be investigated.
Issuing bland statements condemning these horrific attacks is not enough and genuine commitment to protecting the people must be demonstrated by ensuring justice.
While President Bola Tinubu claims his government is implementing new security measures to address the rising insecurity in the country, the recent attacks in Plateau state show that whatever security measures implemented are not working.
In Plateau state, from December 2023 to February 2024 1,336 people were killed. Of those killed 533 were women killed, 263 children killed and 540 men killed. Over 29,554 people were displaced, out of which 13,093 are children and while 16,461 women were displaced.
The patterns of recent deadly attacks on the rural areas of Plateau state, clearly show, the Nigerian authorities have left these communities at the mercy of rampaging gunmen. Nigerian authorities’ failure to tame the tide of this violence is costing people’s lives and livelihoods, and without immediate action, many more lives may be lost.
