Photo caption: Take it back Nigeria Logo
Pro-democracy group, the Take It Back Movement, on Saturday, criticised the Federal Government over its invitation to Amnesty International Nigeria following the release of the human rights group’s report on insecurity in the country.
The PUNCH reports that the Office of the National Security Adviser, led by Nuhu Ribadu, invited Amnesty International for a meeting after it published a report alleging widespread violence and government inaction.
In the report released on Wednesday, AI raised the alarm over the government’s alleged failure to protect citizens from ongoing attacks by armed groups and bandits.
The organisation stated that at least 10,217 people had been killed and 672 villages destroyed over the past two years under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
According to AI, Benue State reportedly recorded the highest death toll with 6,896 fatalities, followed by Plateau State with 2,630.
In response, the FG, through a statement by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, rejected the report, calling it “an empty attempt at sensationalism and scare-mongering.”
A letter from the NSA’s Counter-Terrorism Centre, dated Wednesday, also advised Amnesty to withhold the report from publication pending a comprehensive engagement to address what it called “evident gaps and potential misinformation.”
The CTU, led by Maj. Gen. Adamu 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.”
But in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, the TIB Movement described the government’s action as “an attempt to intimidate civil society organisations exposing government failures.”
“The Tinubu administration should focus on rescuing terror-ravaged communities rather than attacking civil society organisations like Amnesty International.
“Benue and Plateau states continue to suffer mass killings and forced displacement while critical infrastructure is destroyed. With all these overwhelming facts before us, it is appalling that the NSA would dare to label such a critical report as ‘misleading.’ This only underscores the administration’s blatant disregard for ending the rampant insecurity plaguing our nation,” Sanyaolu said.
The TIB called on the government to prioritise the safety of Nigerian citizens over public image, insisting that critics and human rights groups must not be silenced.
“The government of Tinubu should prioritise rescuing terror-ravaged communities, rather than attacking critics and organisations calling for an end to the bloodshed,” the statement concluded.
