BY AHMED AKANBI
Amnesty International Nigeria has condemned the killing of, at least, 54 people in Zikke village, Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, describing it as an “inexcusable security failure.”
The victims, including children and the elderly, were slaughtered in the early hours of Saturday when gunmen invaded the village.
The attackers, who struck between 12am and 1am, shot sporadically, razed houses and looted homes, according to the rights group.
Amnesty said many residents who could not flee were killed and left in pools of blood, while others were still being found in the bush on Saturday as preparations for mass burial began.
The organisation said the death toll could rise further, with initial reports putting the figure at 51 before it climbed to 54.
It noted that the attack came barely two weeks after 52 people were massacred in a similar assault in the state.
”Many of the victims of last night’s deadly attack that could not run — including children and the elderly — were slaughtered and left in pools of blood. The inexcusable security lapses that enabled this horrific attack, two weeks after the killing of 52 people, must be investigated,” Amnesty said.
The rights group recalled that between December 2023 and February 2024 alone, at least 1,336 people were killed in Plateau, including 533 women and 263 children, while 29,554 were displaced.
It faulted President Bola Tinubu’s claim that new security measures are being implemented, saying the renewed killings show the measures are not working.
Amnesty warned that issuing bland condemnations after each attack was insufficient and urged government to show commitment by protecting lives and ensuring justice.
It said consistent failure to bring perpetrators to justice was emboldening impunity and leaving rural communities at the mercy of gunmen.
”Nigerian authorities’ failure to tame the tide of this horrific violence is costing people’s lives and livelihoods, and without immediate action, many more lives may be lost,” the rights group added.