Concerned Nigerian Leaders have presented grim figures of killings across the country, urging President Bola Tinubu to immediately establish a Presidential Task Force on National Security.

In a joint statement on Saturday, the group said data compiled by Amnesty International revealed that at least 10,217 Nigerians were killed in violent attacks over the past two years—comparable to civilian casualties recorded in Ukraine despite Nigeria being officially at peace.

“Parts of Nigeria are enduring wartime levels of slaughter, yet we are officially at peace,” the statement read.

The leaders detailed the scale of violence across regions. In Benue State, they said 6,896 people were killed and more than 450,000 displaced. Plateau State recorded 2,630 deaths, alongside widespread destruction of farmland, poisoned water sources, and torched grain stores. In Zamfara, 638 villages were reportedly sacked, with residents forced to pay criminal levies by phone to avoid mass killings.

The group also noted persistent violence in Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Niger, where “bandits have turned entire districts into fiefdoms.” In the North-East, they warned that Boko Haram is regaining the capacity to launch assaults on communities and military formations, citing recent attacks in Gwoza, Damboa, Biu and Bama. The South-East, they added, remains mired in killings attributed to unknown gunmen.
“We propose urgently creating a Presidential Task Force on National Security, with extraordinary powers and a clear mandate to coordinate and execute emergency measures to halt the violence,” the group said.

They outlined measures for the proposed body, including early warning systems tied to local intelligence, rapid response frameworks, disarmament and reintegration programmes in conflict zones, and quarterly public security reports to drive accountability.

“These are unusual times, they require unusual but constitutional measures,” the statement added.

The signatories to the statement included Osita Chidoka, Mohammed Abdullahi, Sergius Ogun, Kadaria Ahmed, Nuruddeen Muhammad, Frank Nweke, Opeyemi Adamolekun, Tonye Cole, Sam Amadi, Jamila Bio Ibrahim and over a dozen others drawn from all six geopolitical zones.

The leaders said Nigeria’s worsening insecurity requires unity of purpose across political divides, pointing to Colombia and Rwanda as examples of nations that overcame deep internal conflicts through bold reforms.