Amnesty International has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of lacking a clear and effective strategy to tackle the growing wave of violence by armed groups.
The criticism follows the brutal killing of the Chief Imam of Maru Jumma’a Mosque in Zamfara State, Alkali Salihu Suleiman, along with his three children.
The human rights organization said the killing, which occurred after the bandits received N11 million of the N20 million ransom they demanded, shows the Nigerian government’s lack of any effective plan to curb mass atrocities that have plagued the country for years.
According to the organisation, the horrific killing of the 79-year-old Chief Imam and his children serves as another grim reminder that President Bola Tinubu’s administration lacks an effective strategy to end the reign of terror by armed groups.
“Alkali Salihu Suleiman and his children were abducted in March during the holy month of Ramadan. While in the custody of the bandits, they were subjected to almost daily rounds of torture and other ill-treatment. Apart from beatings, they were also made to go long hours without food or water,” Amnesty International said in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).
The group also criticized the Nigerian government’s silence and inaction over repeated attacks, saying bandits now act with growing impunity across Zamfara and other states.
Almost daily attacks across Zamfara and other states clearly show that President Bola Tinubu and his government have no effective plan for ending years of atrocities by armed groups and gunmen that are increasingly having free reign across many parts of Nigeria,” the group added.