The North Central Citizens Council (NCCC) has issued a scathing response to a recent report by Amnesty International, which alleged a surge in deadly attacks across multiple Nigerian states.
The Council condemned the report as an intentional distortion of Nigeria’s security landscape, aimed at misleading the public and damaging the country’s global standing.
In a statement jointly signed by the Council’s Coordinator, Mohammed Eneji; General Secretary, Grace Abu; and Publicity Secretary, Jonathan Omodayo, the NCCC denounced the findings as “malicious, misleading, and an attempt to misinform the world about the actual security situation in Nigeria.”
Amnesty International had reportedly urged President Bola Tinubu to fulfill his campaign pledge to tackle the country’s security issues.
According to a Premium Times report citing Amnesty, over 10,217 people have been killed in violent attacks by armed groups in Benue, Edo, Katsina, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto, and Zamfara States since Tinubu took office on May 29, 2023.
The Council’s statement noted: “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.”
The NCCC further accused Amnesty International of a long-standing agenda to undermine Nigeria’s efforts in combating insecurity, referencing allegations by a U.S. congressman that some international NGOs, especially in the North East, were established to worsen instability in the region.
“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,” the Council said. “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 in destroying the images of the country for political gains.”
The Council emphasized that while security concerns persist, the administration led by President Tinubu is actively working to address them, and criticized Amnesty’s statistics as inconsistent with official records.
“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,” the statement said.
The NCCC also issued a stern warning to international organizations spreading unverified data, suggesting their actions could prompt legal consequences or public backlash.
“We further urge Nigerians to disregard the malicious report circulated by Amnesty International and also reject the operations of Amnesty International from Nigeria by banning their activities completely,” the group 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,” the Council added.
