Nigeria has witnessed yet another week of bloodshed, with Amnesty International warning that the wave of killings is fast becoming unbearable. The rights group, in a strongly worded statement on Friday, said the government has failed in its duty to protect the lives and property of citizens.
According to Amnesty, at least 65 people were killed in different attacks within just a few days. In Katsina State, gunmen stormed a mosque during the early morning Fajr prayer, opening fire on worshippers. Over 50 people were killed on the spot, while more than 60 others were abducted. In Plateau State, gunmen struck farmlands in Mangu LGA, killing at least 15 farmers and displacing more than 200 residents.
The organisation described the situation as an “alarming escalation” of violence, noting that communities across Nigeria are now living in fear of the next attack. It said the continued failure of authorities to arrest or prosecute perpetrators only fuels impunity and puts more lives at risk.
Amnesty further stressed that Nigerians should not be left to constantly live with fear of death or abduction. “No one deserves to live bracing for the next attack,” the group said, urging government to uphold its constitutional and international responsibility to protect citizens’ right to life.
Meanwhile, the Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasir Muazu, confirmed that the mosque attack in Malumfashi LGA was a reprisal by armed groups. He described the incident as tragic and assured that efforts were underway to restore calm.
Despite repeated government assurances, killings across the country continue to claim lives, leaving behind communities in grief, sorrow, and deep uncertainty about the future.
