Amnesty International Nigeria has warned that time is running out for authorities to act as gunmen, bandits, and insurgents continue to unleash violence across the country with increasing frequency.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, the human rights organisation said the nation is bleeding under the weight of daily attacks by armed groups and called for immediate government intervention to halt the bloodshed.
“Time is running out, as gunmen, bandits and insurgents are ramping up attacks daily. The nationwide bloodshed must end now!” the post read.
The statement comes amid a spate of violent incidents reported in recent weeks across different parts of Nigeria, including mass abductions, killings, and destruction of property in communities already ravaged by insecurity.
Amnesty International, which has consistently documented human rights violations in conflict zones, says the failure of authorities to hold perpetrators accountable has emboldened criminal elements to intensify their operations.
While the group did not mention specific incidents in the post, it has previously flagged human rights abuses in the north-west and north-central regions, where armed bandits have killed thousands and displaced entire communities.
In the north-east, insurgent groups such as Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) continue to pose a serious threat to civilian lives despite claims by the military that the insurgency has been “technically defeated.”
The situation has also worsened in the south-east and parts of the middle belt, where attacks on security formations, political figures, and civilians have become a near-daily occurrence.
Security experts have warned that Nigeria is facing a convergence of armed threats — from ideological insurgents to profit-driven bandits — all operating in a climate of weak enforcement, poor intelligence coordination, and low trust in security institutions.
Amnesty International has repeatedly called on the federal government to overhaul its security strategy, ensure justice for victims, and provide reparations for affected communities.
