- FG: Discard Report, it’s Sensationalism….
By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Amnesty International Nigeria, has insisted that the figures in its recent publication on the state of security in the country were not concocted but products of painstaking investigation.
The human rights organization maintained that its position on the insecurity situation im Nigeria is informed by factual investigation, stressing that it’s “evidence-based”.
The Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, who made this assertion in a brief interview with Punch Newspaper on Friday while acknowledging receipt of an invitation letter extended to him from the office of the National Security Adviser, on Thursday maintained that “everything we stated in the report is evidence-based.”
AI had in a report on Wednesday drew attention to what it described as the Nigerian government’s failure to protect citizens from relentless attacks by armed groups and bandits.
The human rights organisation, in the report, said at least 10,217 people had been killed and 672 villages sacked in the past two years under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The report indicated that Benue State was the worst hit, recording the highest number of casualties with about 6,896 people dead while residents were also rendered homeless. According to the report Benue is followed by Plateau State which recorded 2,630 casualties.
The AI’s report has sparked condemnation from the Federal Government as the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, disputed the human rights organisation’s claims.
Idris in a statement on Thursday, said, “The so-called report should be wholly discarded for being an empty attempt at sensationalism and scare-mongering.”
According to the minister, it is unfortunate that a respected platform like Amnesty International would resort to “careless dishing out of figures without verifiable source and credible methodology.”
Idris added, “While they bandy around figures, lived experience of people affected by these crises point to a different reality. While we do not claim to completely overcome the challenges, it’s evident that so many communities had been resettled in the past two years. Swathes of farmlands not cultivated for years were farmed in the last season. Independent media reporting had showcased how places were markets had been closed for many years are now reopened and being patronised.
“These changes have helped in bumping up the rural economy even at a time of economic slowdown.”
In a similar reaction expressed in a letter dated May 28, 2025, reportedly signed by the Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre under ONSA, Maj. Gen. Adamu Laka, AI’s report was dismissed as “misleading,”.
Laka stated that “several of the figures and assertions contained therein are inconsistent with verified data” available to the government.
According to the letter, the counter-terrorism centre maintained that it had strongly advised Amnesty International Nigeria to withhold the report from publication, pending the outcome of comprehensive engagements to address what it described as “evident gaps and potential misinformation.”
“The report, in its current form, presents an overly alarming narrative which does not reflect the broader realities on the ground, and which risks misinforming the public, damaging the international image of the country, and inadvertently encouraging terrorists and criminal elements by exaggerating the impact of their atrocities,” the letter read in part.
NCTC-ONSA stressed the importance of accuracy and objectivity in documenting human rights violations, especially in the context of national security.
“In the interest of constructive engagement and mutual understanding, the NCTC-ONSA would be pleased to host a consultative meeting with representatives of Amnesty International Nigeria.
“This meeting will provide an opportunity for both parties to review the contents of the report, reconcile discrepancies, and discuss ongoing security efforts as well as challenges faced in the protection of lives and property across the country,” the letter added.
While acknowledging the critical role of civil society organisations in human rights advocacy, ONSA emphasised that such responsibilities must be exercised with a “careful understanding of the prevailing national security context.”
