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The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), led by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has formally invited Amnesty International Nigeria to a consultative meeting following the publication of a controversial report by the human rights organisation.
The report, which was released on Wednesday, raised serious concerns about the Nigerian government’s capacity to protect citizens from ongoing violence perpetrated by armed groups and bandits.
In its findings, Amnesty International alleged that no fewer than 10,217 people had been killed and 672 villages destroyed in the last two years of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The report identified Benue State as the hardest hit, recording 6,896 deaths, followed by Plateau State with 2,630 deaths. The human rights organisation described these incidents as evidence of the government’s failure to safeguard lives and properties across affected regions.
However, the Federal Government has categorically disputed the claims made in the report. In a strongly worded statement issued by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, the report was dismissed as “an empty attempt at sensationalism and scare-mongering.” The Minister criticised Amnesty International for what he described as a “careless dishing out of figures without verifiable sources and credible methodology.”
Alhaji Idris argued that while the country still faces security challenges, the situation has improved significantly in many communities over the past two years. “While they bandy around figures, lived experiences of people affected by these crises point to a different reality,” he said.
“Many communities that were once displaced have been resettled. Swathes of farmlands that had lain fallow for years have been cultivated again. Independent media reports have shown how markets that were closed due to insecurity have reopened and are being patronised. These developments have helped stimulate rural economic activity, even in the midst of broader economic slowdowns.”
Further responding to Amnesty’s publication, the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), operating under ONSA, issued a letter dated May 28, 2025. Signed by Maj. Gen. Adamu Laka, the Coordinator of the NCTC, the letter criticised the report as “misleading,” asserting that “several of the figures and assertions contained therein are inconsistent with verified data available to the government.”
The NCTC, in the same letter, indicated that it had earlier advised Amnesty International Nigeria to withhold the release of the report pending a comprehensive engagement. The centre argued that the report, in its current form, paints “an overly alarming narrative which does not reflect the broader realities on the ground.”
According to the NCTC, such misrepresentation could “misinform the public, damage the international image of the country, and inadvertently encourage terrorists and criminal elements by exaggerating the impact of their atrocities.”
In view of this, the NCTC-ONSA has extended an invitation to Amnesty International Nigeria to engage in a consultative meeting. The purpose of the meeting, the letter explained, is to provide a platform for both parties to review the report’s content, reconcile discrepancies, and discuss ongoing security efforts and the challenges involved in protecting lives and property.
“This meeting will provide an opportunity for both parties to review the contents of the report, reconcile discrepancies, and discuss ongoing security efforts as well as challenges faced in the protection of lives and property across the country,” the letter stated.
The Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, confirmed receipt of the invitation. “We are aware of the invitation; they delivered the letter to us this morning. Everything we stated in the report is evidence-based,” Sanusi said in a statement to the Punch on Thursday.
While acknowledging the critical role that civil society organisations like Amnesty International play in the protection and promotion of human rights, the ONSA stressed that such responsibilities must be discharged with “a careful understanding of the prevailing national security context.”
It also underlined the importance of accuracy and objectivity in documenting human rights violations, particularly in a complex and sensitive area such as national security.