The Northern Youth Assembly (NYA) has criticized Amnesty International over its recent report concerning the alleged killing of five persons in Kano, accusing the organization of bias, selective outrage, and attempts to damage the image of the state.
In a statement signed by the President of the Assembly, Dr. Mohammed Ali Idris, and the Secretary General, Dr. Hafiz Garba, the group described Amnesty International’s report as “reckless, unbalanced, and politically coloured.”
The NYA argued that the international human rights organization rushed to label the incident as politically motivated without conducting what it described as a fair and comprehensive investigation.
According to the Assembly, the clash that occurred on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, involved rival groups of thugs with a history of violent confrontation, insisting there was no evidence linking the Kano State Government or political actors to the incident.
The group further faulted Amnesty International for allegedly relying on viral videos and unverified claims in making accusations against stakeholders of the ruling party and government officials in the state.
“It is unfortunate that Amnesty International has chosen to politicize a criminal routine clash among hoodlums in order to create a false impression against Kano State and its leadership,” the statement said.
The NYA also accused the organization of applying double standards by focusing heavily on incidents in Kano while allegedly paying limited attention to insecurity and violence in other parts of Nigeria.
The Assembly maintained that branding the incident as political thuggery without concrete evidence was irresponsible and capable of damaging the reputation of innocent individuals and institutions.
The youth group called on Amnesty International to adopt fairness, professionalism, and objectivity in addressing issues affecting Nigeria, urging the organization to avoid what it termed “selective activism and sensational reporting.”
The statement added that the people of Kano would not remain silent while external organizations portray the state negatively through what the group described as unfounded and exaggerated allegations.