The Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has criticised a report released by Amnesty International to address the rising spate of insecurity in Nigeria in the past two years under President Bola Tinubu, describing it as misleading and lacking depth. DHQ, in a statement issued on Friday by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus
The Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has criticised a report released by Amnesty International to address the rising spate of insecurity in Nigeria in the past two years under President Bola Tinubu, describing it as misleading and lacking depth.
DHQ, in a statement issued on Friday by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, counters the report by the international organisation, claiming it has failed to give credit to the military agency for its efforts against insecurity over the past two years.
Amnesty International, in its report presented to address the state of insecurity in Nigeria on Wednesday, said its investigation has revealed that not less than 10,217 people have been killed in the two years since the government took power, indicating that Tinubu’s administration has neglected the safety of Nigerians in the rural parts of the country.
The organisation further explained that over 6,896 were killed in Benue State, at least 2,630 were killed in Plateau State, and 672 villages were raided by bandits in three states of the federation within the space of two years, adding that states like Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto, and Zamfara were also affected.
However, in his reaction to the report, the military director insisted that there has been significant improvement in the Nigerian security outlook, which has led to some key operational successes since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
Major General Kangye also questioned the “humongous and misleading” claim of 6,896 deaths in Benue State. He noted that the military only recorded 693 deaths in Benue during the review period.
“Our records show 693 deaths in Benue during the review period, not 6,896. Furthermore, most of the alleged displacement figures are inconsistent with ground realities. The statement noted that many IDP camps are now largely empty.
“While we acknowledge the importance of civil society in promoting accountability and human rights, we must express strong reservations about the sweeping generalisations, lack of contextual depth, and the failure of the statement to recognise the monumental strides made by the Armed Forces of Nigeria under the current administration.”
“The statement paints a bleak and generalised picture of national insecurity, largely ignoring the asymmetric and evolving nature of modern threats, especially those rooted in decades of sociopolitical and economic complexities. DHQ acknowledges the undeniable challenges in specific regions.
“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.
“Rescue Operations and Hostage Recovery. In partnership with local intelligence networks, the military successfully rescued over 1,200 abducted civilians, including women and children, many of whom were kidnapped in mass abduction incidents.
“Several notorious kidnapping syndicates have been dismantled, and recovery of illegal weapons caches continues weekly,” he added.
“The state witnessed improvements in security following a reorganisation of deployments and intensified operations in July 2023. There were no mass displacements between 2023 and 2025, contrary to Amnesty’s assertion,” he maintained.
Addressing the report by Amnesty over some parts of the country, including Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Katsina States, Major General Kangye said, “In Zamfara alone, the military reported over 2,000 offensive operations in two years, leading to the rescue of 687 abductees, the neutralisation of over 1,500 terrorists, and the destruction of bandit enclaves.
Contrary to claims, areas such as Bafarawa and Gebe in Sokoto are within reach of military Forward Operating Bases, and joint operations have cleared bandit strongholds,” the statement added.
