Plateau Carnage: Gunmen Operated For 48 Hours Unchallenged – AI Says

Global Watchdog, Amnesty International (AI), on Tuesday demanded a probe into the latest killing in Plateau State, which cost over 140 souls.

It alleged that the killer-gunmen operated unchallenged for over 48 hours, stressing that the brazen failure of the authorities to protect the people of Nigeria is gradually becoming the ‘norm.’

Amnesty International also declared that the killings were unacceptable and therefore demanded of President Bola Tinubu to set up an impartial, independent and effective panel to probe the apparent failure of security agencies to halt the bloodshed hours after villages that were attacked were gathering dead bodies of those killed and conveying those injured to hospitals.

It pointedly said that issuing statements condemning the attacks is not enough, and genuine commitment to protecting the people, stressing that it must be demonstrated by ensuring justice.

AI also recalled that President Tinubu had said that he will enact security measures in response to these attacks, adding however, that the promises have so far proven to be empty and therefore tasked the Nigerian authorities to probe what it described as “the inexcusable security lapses” that allowed the horrific killing of over 140 people by gunmen across over 20 villages in Bokkos and parts of the Barkin-Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State.

These were contained in  a statement by Isa Sanusi, Director of Information with Amnesty International, in which he said that investigation indicated that the gunmen were on a rampage of killing and destruction for more than 48 hours, moving from one village to another to carry out their havoc.

Amnesty International further said that apart from Bokkos Local Government Area, where the attacks started and lasted for some hours, the gunmen also crossed into Barkin Ladi Local Government Area and killed dozens of people in Hurum, Daruwat, Maiyanga, and NTV villages.

In the words of Isa Sanusi; “Patterns of recent deadly attacks on the rural areas of Plateau State clearly show that 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,” he said.

Amnesty International noted the promise of President Bola Tinubu to reverse the ugly trend under past administrations, saying however that it doubted if the promise had translated into a substantial result.

According to AI; “Although President Bola Tinubu promised to put in place new ways of addressing increasing insecurity in the country, the attacks in Plateau State and recently in some parts of Benue, Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina State show that protecting lives and property is low on the list of the government’s priorities.

Amnesty International challenged the government to live up to its fundamental responsibility to the people, saying; “the Nigerian authorities are obliged under international human rights law, regional human rights treaties, and Nigeria’s constitution to protect the human rights of all people without discrimination, stressing that, that “includes the right to life”.

It particularly tasked the Nigerian authorities to independently investigate all the Plateau attacks and ensure accountability by bringing the perpetrators to justice.

It specifically said that the spread of the killings was evidence of the failure of authorities to protect the people, adding that the inability of authorities to bring attackers to justice was seriously fueling impunity.