The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has issued a statement refuting a recent report by Amnesty International, which claimed that over 10,000 people have been killed and 672 villages sacked across Nigeria in the past two years.
The DHQ described the report as misleading, lacking context, and failing to acknowledge the significant progress made by the Nigerian Armed Forces in combating insecurity.
Major General Markus Kangye, Director of Defence Media Operations, stated that the statistics presented by Amnesty International were sweeping generalisations and unverified. He argued that the report ignored the complex socio-political environment in which the military operates and the asymmetric nature of modern threats.
The DHQ highlighted several achievements since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, including the neutralisation of over 5,000 insurgents and bandits, the recovery of more than 350 communities, and the rescue of 1,200 kidnapped civilians.
Kangye also noted that the sustained presence of troops in areas such as Maru (Zamfara), Bokkos (Plateau), and Logo (Benue) has enabled displaced persons to begin returning home under military protection.
Specifically addressing Amnesty’s figures, Kangye refuted the claim that 2,630 people were killed in Plateau State, stating that there were no mass displacements between 2023 and 2025.
He also disputed the figure of 6,896 deaths in Benue, asserting that military records show only 693 fatalities during the same period. Furthermore, he pointed out that many internally displaced persons (IDP) camps are now largely empty, contradicting Amnesty’s displacement figures.
The DHQ urged Amnesty International to engage with local realities and verify facts before publishing reports that could potentially mislead the public and undermine the morale of troops.
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cc: Daily Post Ng
