Over 1,100 villagers killed by bandits in northern Nigeria in 2020

At least 1,126 people in rural villages in northern Nigeria were killed by bandits between January and July 2020. Human rights watchdog group, Amnesty International, published a report on Monday, August 24 accusing Nigerian authorities of leaving rural communities at the mercy of the gunmen.

The region has for months been terrorised by bandits who invade communities to abduct for ransom, and kill residents, while also destroying property.

Amnesty said it interviewed civilians in Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, and Zamfara who said they live in fear of attacks and abductions as insecurity escalates in rural areas.

At least 380 people, mostly women and children, have been abducted for ransom during attacks in Kaduna, Niger, Katsina, Nasarawa and Zamfara in 2020, according to the report.

Heavily armed attackers are often described as storming villages on motorcycles and wreaking havoc without proper resistance from authorities.

"Many of those interviewed described how security forces often arrive hours after attacks have ended, even when officers have been given information about impending attacks," Amnesty said.

The watchdog group said it documented an alarming escalation in attacks and abductions in many states in the north west and north central since January.

The worst affected villages were found in southern Kaduna where at least 366 people have been killed in multiple attacks since the beginning of the year.

The conflict in southern Kaduna has assumed ethno-religious undertones that have been relentlessly debunked by state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, who insists it's an economically-triggered crisis just like in other northern states.

Nigeria's director of Amnesty International, Osai Ojigho, says security agencies must ensure accountability by bringing perpetrators to justice [Amnesty International] The ever-present activities of bandits in the northern region has forced many farmers and their families to flee their homes with at least 33,130 people in displacement camps in Katsina.

"This is pushing the region to the brink of a major humanitarian crisis. The Nigerian authorities' failure to stem the violence is costing people's lives and livelihoods, and without immediate action many more lives may be lost," Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Osai Ojigho, said.

Security agencies in the country have been heavily criticised for their handling of the insecurity crisis in the north and in most of the country.

Lawmakers have several times called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack service chiefs, whose tenures have been extended beyond their natural expiry, to appoint new ones.

The president has made it clear he won't replace them until he determines it necessary.

The 77-year-old's numerous directives to the service chiefs to re-energise the security architecture to meet the challenges of insecurity in the country has achieved very limited success.

Ojigho said on Monday the ongoing failure of security forces to take sufficient steps to protect villagers from these predictable attacks is utterly shameful.

She said not enough perpetrators of the attacks have been brought to any sort of justice, and the president's words have changed nothing.

Amnesty also condemned the alleged intimidation, arrest and torture of farmers, rights groups, and activists who have protested the attacks and asked the government to protect Nigerians.

"Instead of arresting critics, the authorities should be seeking urgent solutions to this crisis and doing all they can to prevent further attacks," Ojigho said.

She called on authorities to independently investigate the attacks and ensure accountability by bringing the perpetrators to justice.