A former presidential candidate, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has raised concern over what he described as the underreporting of mass killings across Nigeria, warning that growing global silence reflected a dangerous devaluation of human lives.

Hashim said the persistent attacks in several parts of the country pointed to a worsening security crisis, failing to attract the attention it deserves, both locally and internationally.

In a statement issued on Sunday, he lamented that the true scale of the killings was being “dangerously underreported and increasingly normalised.”

He cited recent attacks in Shanga Local Government Area of Kebbi State, where more than 40 persons were reportedly killed within the past week.

According to him, local sources indicate that the casualty figure may be higher as fresh bodies were discovered, with homes also being razed during the attacks.

He added that the same community had earlier suffered another assault that claimed at least seven lives, describing the situation as persistent and largely unchecked.

“What we are witnessing is a pattern of mass killings that fail to sustain national outrage or global attention,” Olawepo-Hashim said.

He also drew attention to similar attacks in Kwara State, particularly in Kaiama, Baruten and Ifelodun, where between 20 and 50 people were reportedly killed in recent weeks.

The politician who recently dumped the Peoples Democratic Party noted that the victims included five forest guards, adding that many of the incidents barely received coverage beyond local reporting channels.

Across the North-Central region, he said the scale of violence remained alarming, citing repeated killings in Benue State and Plateau State.

He disclosed that Benue recorded between 50 and 100 deaths within weeks, while Plateau witnessed coordinated night attacks that left between 30 and 80 persons dead.

Olawepo-Hashim further stated that Niger and Nasarawa states also recorded fatalities ranging from 20 to 50 and 10 to 20, respectively.

He said, in total, between 130 and 300 people may have been killed within a short period across the affected regions.

Describing the situation as alarming, he said the killings were being met with “selective attention and dangerous silence” by the global community.

Olawepo-Hashim criticised the muted response of institutions such as the United Nations and the African Union.

“There is a growing perception that Nigerian lives have been so devalued that even routine expressions of condolence are no longer made,” he said. (The PUNCH)