The number of people killed in violence committed by insurgent groups and criminal gangs topped over 10,000 in two years in central and northern Nigeria, Amnesty International said on Thursday.

In a report, the global rights group blamed the Nigerian government for failure to protect people in swathes of the country hit by raids by insurgents, and criminal gangs known as "bandits" who attack villages, killing and kidnapping residents.

However, on Thursday President Tinubu insisted that troops deployed in the flashpoints have succeeded in restoring order and tackling threats posed by the militant groups.

Massacres also occur in central Nigeria's so-called Middle Belt where herders and farmers often clash over land access, with the attacks often taking on a religious or ethnic dimension.

Killed in attacks by gunmen

Amnesty's investigation showed that "in the two years since the current government has been in power, at least 10,217 people have been killed in attacks by gunmen."

Benue state, which lies in the central region, suffered the heaviest death toll of 6,896, followed by Plateau state, where 2,630 people were killed, Amnesty said in a report released to coincide with Tinubu's first two years in office.

Of the seven states Amnesty investigated, Borno – the epicentre of insurgent violence which has raged in northeast Nigeria since 2009 – was not included.

When Tinubu came to power two years ago, he vowed that dealing with insecurity was one of the main challenges for his government.

'Things have gotten worse'

"Instead, things have only gotten worse, as the authorities continue to fail to protect the rights to life, physical integrity, liberty and the security of tens of thousands of people across the country," Isa Sanusi, director of Amnesty International Nigeria, said.

Northern states that insurgents and other criminal groups have targeted for several years have seen an upsurge in attacks in recent months.

Sanusi said the "recent escalation of attacks by Boko Haram and other armed groups shows that the security measures implemented by President Tinubu's government are simply not working."

In his second year anniversary speech, Tinubu said Nigerian troops have "restored order, reducing and eliminating threats to lives and livelihoods" in violence-wracked regions."

'Farmers back on their lands'

"With the successes achieved, farmers are back tilling the land to feed us. Highways hitherto dangerous for travellers have become safer," he added.

His government is also facing simmering separatist tensions in the southeast.