Amnesty International

By Muhammad Abubakar

Shock and outrage have trailed the appearance of a notorious militia leader, Babaro, at a government-backed peace dialogue in Faskari Local Government Area on Sunday. The bandit commander, long accused of mass killings and sexual violence, arrived at the meeting heavily armed and in a convoy, alongside his fighters.

Witnesses said Babaro and his gang openly flaunted their weapons, taunted residents, and bragged that “nothing will happen to them” despite years of terrorising communities across Katsina and neighbouring states.

Babaro is accused of carrying out some of the deadliest attacks in the region, including the massacre of more than 50 worshippers during morning prayers at Unguwar Mantau Mosque in August. Survivors say the bloodstains of that slaughter are still visible on the mosque’s walls and floor. He is also alleged to have raped women and girls in front of their families, and, together with fellow warlord Kachalla Isiya Akwashi Garwa, killed an unconfirmed number of people, particularly in the Faskari axis.

In Kankara, Malumfashi, and other parts of Katsina, his name has become synonymous with fear, mass abductions, and relentless bloodshed.

The decision to give Babaro and his fighters a seat at a peace meeting has left victims’ families devastated. Relatives of abducted persons, some of whom attended the dialogue, broke down in tears as they watched the same men who killed their loved ones sit at the negotiating table with impunity.

Amnesty International Nigeria sharply criticised the development, warning that privileging armed groups while silencing victims only deepens injustice.

“The mere notion that it is now acceptable for a group of people in Nigeria to carry arms that are solely used to kill people who are never armed is unbelievable,” said Isa Sanusi, spokesperson of Amnesty International Nigeria. “The assumption that those who are carrying sophisticated arms and decorate themselves with bullet magazines can accept peace or are ready to renounce violence is faulty. Nonsense.”

Sanusi questioned how bandits like Babaro continue to obtain weapons and logistical support while victims are left unprotected, marginalised, and ignored.

The Faskari meeting has reignited anger over the government’s controversial peace overtures to armed groups in the northwest, where thousands of people have been killed, abducted, and displaced in a decade-long wave of violence.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Amnesty International has called for an immediate and transparent investigation into the brutal lynching of at least 16 travelers in Uromi, Edo State.

The victims, who were hunters traveling from Rivers State to Kano to celebrate Eid with their families, were attacked by a vigilante group and armed youths on Tuesday.

According to reports, the victims’ vehicle was blocked, and they were dragged out one by one, beaten, tied to used tires, doused with petrol, and set ablaze.

Disturbing videos of the incident show the victims pleading for mercy while onlookers cheered as the attackers used axes, iron rods, and machetes.

Amnesty International condemned the killings, urging Nigerian authorities to go beyond mere condemnation and ensure the perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted.

The rights group noted that the failure to punish mob violence has emboldened vigilantes to take the law into their own hands.

This incident is part of a rising trend of highway attacks by vigilante groups in rural areas, often carried out with impunity.

Amnesty International stressed that the government must take decisive action to prevent such violence, equip secure justice for victims.

The Nigerian police have yet to issue a detailed statement on arrests or ongoing investigations.