At least 323 people have been killed in terror attacks on rural communities across six Northern States in the first 20 days of February, Amnesty International has reported.

In a statement shared on its official X account on Saturday, the human rights organisation said the fatalities occurred in Benue, Katsina, Kwara, Kebbi, Niger and Zamfara States.

Amnesty International said the rising death toll highlights that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government has no effective plan to end years of violence by armed groups and gunmen, who have killed thousands of people.

The organisation condemned the continued attacks and what it described as the authorities’ failure to stop them or bring perpetrators to justice, calling it a serious threat to the right to life in Nigeria.

“Incessant killings and the shocking failure of the authorities to end them and bring suspected perpetrators to justice have been and continue to be a threat to the right to life in Nigeria,” the statement read.

Amnesty noted that since 2020, it has been documenting a recurring pattern of attacks on rural communities, where gunmen often ride into villages on motorcycles, heavily armed, and open fire on residents.

The attackers, the group said, frequently abduct women and girls, burn houses, steal livestock, destroy farm produce, and kidnap villagers for ransom.

Some communities even received “warning letters” from armed groups before assaults, which sometimes last for hours.

Citing a recent incident in Niger State, Amnesty said one attack began around 3:00 a.m. and continued until about 10:00 a.m.

“Most villagers told Amnesty International that the government left them at the mercy of their attackers,” the statement added.

It stressed that the government has a constitutional duty to protect lives and property. 

“The rising death toll in Northern Nigeria shows just how badly the authorities are failing in this responsibility,” Amnesty International stated.