The Office of the National Security Adviser, headed by Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has invited Amnesty International Nigeria for a consultative meeting following the publication of a new report by the human rights organisation on insecurity in the country.
AI had in a report on Wednesday raised the alarm over what it described as the Nigerian government’s failure to protect citizens from relentless attacks by armed groups and bandits.
The human rights organisation, in the report, said at least 10,217 people had been killed and 672 villages sacked in the past two years under President Bola Tinubu, noting that Benue State recorded the highest number of deaths with 6,896 people killed, followed by Plateau State with 2,630 deaths.
But the Federal Government, in a statement by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disputed the report, saying, “The so-called report should be wholly discarded for being an empty attempt at sensationalism and scare-mongering.”
According to the minister, it is unfortunate that a respected platform like Amnesty International would resort to “careless dishing out of figures without verifiable source and credible methodology.”
Idris said, “While they bandy around figures, lived experience of people affected by these crises point to a different reality. While we do not claim to completely overcome the challenges, it’s evident that so many communities had been resettled in the past two years. Swathes of farmlands not cultivated for years were farmed in the last season. Independent media reporting had showcased how places where markets had been closed for many years are now reopened and being patronised.
“These changes have helped in bumping up the rural economy even at a time of economic slowdown.”
On Thursday, a letter dated May 28, 2025, signed by the Coordinator of the National Counter Terrorism Centre under ONSA, Maj. Gen. Adamu Laka, invited Amnesty over the report.
Laka, in the letter described Amnesty’s report as “misleading,” stating that “several of the figures and assertions contained therein are inconsistent with verified data” available to the government.
The Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, confirmed that the letter was served on them on Thursday morning.
“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 the letter dated Wednesday, the counter-terrorism centre had strongly advised Amnesty International Nigeria to withhold the report from publication, pending a comprehensive engagement to address what it described as “evident gaps and potential misinformation.”
“The report, in its current form, presents an overly alarming narrative which does not reflect the broader realities on the ground, and which risks misinforming the public, damaging the international image of the country, and inadvertently encouraging terrorists and criminal elements by exaggerating the impact of their atrocities,” the letter read in part.
NCTC-ONSA, which coordinates the country’s counter-terrorism strategy, stressed the importance of accuracy and objectivity in documenting human rights violations, especially in the context of national security.
“In the interest of constructive engagement and mutual understanding, the NCTC-ONSA would be pleased to host a consultative meeting with representatives of Amnesty International Nigeria.
“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 added.
While acknowledging the critical role of civil society organisations in human rights advocacy, ONSA emphasised that such responsibilities must be exercised with a “careful understanding of the prevailing national security context.”