LAGOS, May 29, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The number of people killed in violence committed by jihadist groups and criminal gangs topped over 10,000 in two years in central and northern Nigeria, Amnesty International said Thursday.

In a report, the global rights group blamed the government of President Bola Tinubu for failure to protect people in swaths of the country hit by raids by jihadists, and criminal gangs known as "bandits" who attack villages, killing and kidnapping residents.

Massacres also occur in central Nigeria's so-called Middle Belt where herders and farmers often clash over land access, with the attacks often taking on a religious or ethnic dimension.

Amnesty's investigation showed that "in the two years since the current government has been in power, at least 10,217 people have been killed in attacks by gunmen".

Benue state, which lies in the central region, suffered the heaviest death toll of 6,896, followed by Plateau state, where 2,630 people were killed, Amnesty said in a report released to coincide with Tinubu's first two years in office.

Of the seven states Amnesty investigated, Borno -- the epicentre of jihadist violence which has raged in northeast Nigeria since 2009 -- was not included.

When Tinubu came to power two years ago, he vowed that dealing with insecurity was one of the main challenges for his government.

"Instead, things have only gotten worse, as the authorities continue to fail to protect the rights to life, physical integrity, liberty and the security of tens of thousands of people across the country," said Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria.

Northern states that jihadists and other criminal groups have targeted for several years have seen an upsurge in attacks in recent months.

Sanusi said the "recent escalation of attacks by Boko Haram and other armed groups shows that the security measures implemented by President Tinubu's government are simply not working".

Amnesty estimates that the attacks in Benue and Plateau states have displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

Tinubu two weeks ago said his "administration is committed to addressing insecurity".

"The security forces have fresh marching orders to deal decisively with all criminal activities," he was quoted as saying in a statement from his office during talks with Christian clergy.

His government is also facing simmering separatist tensions in the southeast.