Human rights organisation, Amnesty International, has responded to claims by some Northern clerics and influencers of selective and biased reporting of the killings in the North.

PUNCH Online reports that the organisation released a report last week highlighting alleged human rights abuses under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Amnesty International claimed that within two years, 10,000 persons had been killed due to terrorism in the country.

According to the organisation’s figures, 7,000 victims were from Benue State, 2,600 from Plateau State, and 691 from Sokoto, Zamfara, and other Northern states.

However, some Northern Islamic clerics and influencers such as Sheik Bin Al-Qasim Asaduls, Dan Bello, Arewa Mufarka, Sharfaddeen Bature and others have dismissed the report.

Reacting to the dismissals in a chat with our correspondent on Wednesday, Amnesty’s Country Director, Isa Sanusi, dismissed the allegations levelled against the organisation.

Sanusi stated that the organisation’s reports on the killings in Benue and Plateau states were evidence-based and not fabricated.

He said, “At Amnesty International Nigeria, we remain focused and dedicated to protecting and promoting human rights.

“Paying influencers and Islamic clerics to carry out ignorant smear campaigns won’t detract us from doing the important work we are doing of ensuring that the human rights of all Nigerians are protected.

“Our research is always evidence-based and committed to human rights accountability.

“These diversionary tactics are a shameless attempt to avoid investigating the accounts of human rights violations which have been presented by Amnesty International on 29 May.“

In his reaction, Sheik Bin Al-Qasim Asaduls described the report released by the human rights organisation as “selective and biased.”

In a video posted on his official Facebook page on Tuesday, the cleric accused the human rights organisation of deliberately ignoring the killings of Muslims while amplifying incidents involving Christians.

He alleged that the organisation has never shown genuine concern for the plight of Muslims in regions such as Maiduguri, Sokoto, or Zamfara, despite persistent insecurity and violence affecting those areas.

“Amnesty claims to defend human rights, but many of us believe it is driven by a Western agenda. They remain silent when Muslims are killed but rush to release statements whenever Muslims react to provocation or defend their Prophet,” Al-Qasim said in the video.

Al-Qasim, however, suggested that the organisation is not interested in true justice but rather in stirring religious and political instability in Muslim communities

He said, “Amnesty International, under the guise of justice, is inciting conflict and trying to destabilise the North.

“Their actual goal is not to protect the oppressed but to create division.”

He further urged Nigerian Muslims to remain vigilant and resist what he termed foreign attempts to undermine their religion and their region.

Al-Qasim added, “What does this imply? It appears they want to create a false narrative that only Christians are being killed since Benue and Plateau are predominantly Christian states. They released this report to push their agenda.

“Take for example a recent attack in a Christian community in Plateau State where over 100 people were gruesomely murdered.

“Amnesty International publicised it widely. What are they trying to achieve? They want people to react emotionally and turn the issue into a religious crisis.

“We know that religious conflict is one of the fastest ways to destroy a nation’s stability and economy. So, think carefully: does this report by Amnesty International truly reflect the whole picture?

“However, both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria must be wise and alert. There are enemies within Nigeria, working day and night to ignite conflict. It has been a long time since Nigeria experienced a religious crisis, and may God continue to protect us. This kind of propaganda is outdated.

“We must remain united. Without peace, no imam will be able to preach in a mosque, and no pastor will be able to preach in a church. Peaceful coexistence is vital.

“Don’t rely on Amnesty International’s reports and allow them to sow hatred in your heart. That path leads to division and destruction.”

Also, in a recent interview with a media outlet, DCL Hausa, Nastaru Sharif dismissed AI’s findings as false, claiming the organisation was part of a scheme by certain individuals intent on destabilising peace in Nigeria.

Sharif argued that the organisation’s investigations showed the confirmed death toll in Benue State did not exceed 300.

He alleged that Amnesty’s report was deliberately crafted to politicise the violence and fuel religious and ethnic tensions in Nigeria, which he claims is the true motive behind the publication.

He said, “If you follow the news in this country, you will notice that Amnesty International often reports incidents of attacks mainly in the northern region. It was only recently that the Benue report emerged.

“However, according to our findings, the number of people confirmed dead in Benue is not up to 300.

“If you examine how Amnesty International presents events, it is clear that they want to politicise the situation and provoke a religious and tribal crisis in the country. That is the truth.

“The issue is not whether the Nigerian government failed in its responsibilities or not—we often point out the government’s mistakes and areas where it falls short.

“It is necessary to tell ourselves the truth and acknowledge that there are some people who do not want us to live peacefully in this country. We should all agree on that fact.

“The reason we came out to speak on this issue is because some people are trying to project the false narrative that Nigeria is a country where Christians are being systematically killed, and everyone knows that this is not true.”