The North Central Citizens Council (NCCC), on Saturday, strongly condemned a recent report by Amnesty International alleging widespread killings by gunmen across several Nigerian states, describing it as a deliberate attempt to mislead Nigerians and tarnish the country’s global image.

Amnesty International claimed that over 10,217 people had been killed in attacks by gunmen in Benue, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto, and Zamfara states since May 29, 2023.

In a statement jointly signed by the Coordinator of the Council, Mohammed Eneji; General Secretary, Grace Abu; and Publicity Secretary, Jonathan Omodayo, the NCCC criticized the report as “malicious, misleading, and an attempt to misinform the world about the actual security situation in Nigeria.”

Amnesty International also reportedly called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently fulfill his campaign promises to address the nation’s persistent security challenges.

“It was reported that the group then called on the President of Nigeria, His Excellency Bola Tinubu, to “fulfil his promises to Nigerians and urgently address the resurgence of the nation’s endemic security crisis.

“It is on record that Amnesty International over the years has been a vanguard of misinformation and always in an attempt to discredit the efforts made by the Nigerian government in its war against insecurity.

“According to a report released by an American congressman, the majority of international NGOs, particularly located in North East Nigeria, were founded to further exacerbate insecurity in the region.

“This report, made by Amnesty International, has further vindicated the congressman about those international NGOs who are alleged to be sponsored by elements who are headbent on destroying the image of the country for political gains.

“It is no news that Nigeria is currently faced with security challenges and the government of the day, ably led by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu has been working tirelessly to see to the end of insecurity and banditry in Nigeria and the figures and claims made by the above mentioned body do not align with verified government data.

“Several of the figures and assertions contained therein are inconsistent with verified data in Nigeria’s possession. A lot of gains have been achieved under the National Security adviser in person, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on insecurity, and we believe that the situation will continue to improve.”

While calling on Amnesty International and similar organizations to desist from spreading unverified information, the NCCC warned that further attempts to incite public distrust against the government could result in legal action and mass protests.
“We further urge Nigerians to disregard the malicious report circulated by Amnesty International and also reject the operations of Amnesty International in Nigeria by banning their activities completely,” Eneji said.

“Conclusively, we call upon all African nations to critically evaluate the operations of such organizations within their borders. It advocates for a suspension of activities until these entities commit to respecting local contexts and frameworks.
“This approach not only seeks to safeguard national interests but also aims to foster an environment where international cooperation can thrive without compromising the autonomy and integrity of sovereign states.”