A report by Global Right has revealed that no fewer than 555 Nigerians were killed and 267 kidnapped across the country between May 29 and July 3.
According to the report entitled ‘Mass atrocities in Nigeria from 2019 to July 2023’, bandits, Boko Haram insurgents, gunmen and others executed the attacks.
It stated that under the President Bola Tinubu administration, the north central geo-political zone ravaged by banditry had been the most impacted with 312 deaths recorded in 35 days under review.
The northwest 123 deaths, followed by the southeast with 66 deaths, northeast, 38 casualties; south-south, 11 and southwest, five.
The regions affected by banditry recorded more deaths than other regions.
The northwest and north central had a total of 435 deaths.
“Ethnic and religious divisions; political interests and power struggles; 20 million out-of-school children; 130 million multidimensionally poor; 90 million absolutely poor; 33 per cent unemployment rate and over 50 per cent youth unemployment among others are drivers of mass atrocities in Nigeria,” said the programme manager of the group, Edosa Oviawe.
He added that the struggle for power and poverty are some of the factors fuelling mass atrocities in the country.
