A public affairs expert, Mr. Tersoo Chiahemen, has said Amnesty International’s new report about killings in Nigeria is full of false numbers and is very harmful.
Amnesty claimed in its report that over 10,000 people have been killed by armed groups in Northern Nigeria since President Tinubu took office. The group also said that 98% of those deaths happened in just two states—Benue and Plateau.
But Mr. Chiahemen said these numbers are wrong and not based on good research. He believes the report is trying to create fear and tension in the country.
He said the real numbers from a trusted group called ACLED are much lower. According to ACLED’s data, the number of deaths in Benue and Plateau from 2023 to 2025 is about 2,132, not 10,000.
These numbers are:Benue: 497 (2023), 650 (2024), 155 (2025) and Plateau: 401 (2023), 320 (2024), 109 (2025)
Mr. Chiahemen rhetorically questioned how Amnesty get its numbers? Who gave them the information and Whether the deaths were caused by violence or something else?
According to him, Amnesty has not bee. Able to answer these questions, hence he called the report unfair, careless, and dangerous.
He also indicated that Amnesty used to be respected, but now it seems the organizatio ismore interested in making headlines than telling the truth.
Mr. Chiahemen said the Nigerian government is working hard to stop violence.
He mentioned military action, local security efforts, and peacebuilding.
He asked Amnesty to work with trusted groups like ACLED and local civil society organizations in Nigeria to get the facts right in future.
He ended by saying: “This report is not helpful—it’s like a storybook, not the truth. It may cause more harm than good.”