92 people killed in Zamfara, Sokoto in two months – IRC

At least 92 people were killed in Zamfara and Sokoto states between March and April as Nigeria’s north-west continues to face armed attacks, the International Rescue Committee said.

The group said 10,000 people were displaced during the period as a result of conflict in the last two months. The displaced people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

More than half of the people affected by these attacks are women, which leaves them at risk of exploitation and abuse, the IRC warned.

Additionally, many other people have been kidnapped in the attacks, it said.

“We are appalled by the brutal attacks on civilian men, women and children, which is yet another reminder of the violence that has become unacceptably common in northwest Nigeria,” Babatunde Ojei, Country Director for the IRC in Nigeria, said.

“The IRC stands united with the families of the civilians affected and calls on all parties to uphold the protection of civilians and relevant humanitarian laws.”

Complex crisis

The northcentral and northwest zones of Nigeria face a complex crisis involving long-standing ethnic and religious tensions, often leading to attacks and banditry.

Criminal groups carry out kidnappings and thefts along major highways. Over recent years, this crisis has escalated, causing widespread displacement throughout these regions.

The pledge by the one-year-old government of President Bola Tinubu to address rampant insecurity in the country has not stopped the attacks.

The IRC has been working in Nigeria since 2012. The IRC operates in Zamfara, Katsina states and supports the work of partner organizations in Sokoto in northwest Nigeria.

The group provides both immediate lifesaving and life-sustaining activities as well as medium-term recovery programs. The IRC’s programming includes primary health, nutrition and reproductive health care activities; educational support services for out-of-school youth, women’s protection and empowerment activities, water and sanitation programming, and economic recovery and development activities.