- Amnesty International has reported a “horrifying” surge in mass kidnappings across Northern Nigeria, with at least 1,100 people abducted between January and April 2026.
- The organization noted that gunmen are increasingly targeting rural communities and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) for high-value ransoms, subjecting victims to torture, starvation, and rape.
- Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, criticized the Federal Government’s failure to protect citizens, stating that the wave of insecurity is disrupting education and forcing families into extreme poverty.
Amnesty International has issued a stark warning to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, highlighting a burgeoning abduction crisis that has gripped the northern region of the country.
Eko Hot Blog reports that in a statement released on Sunday, April 12, 2026, the global human rights body revealed that over 1,100 individuals have been snatched by gunmen in a span of just three months.
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The group emphasized that these figures likely understate the true scale of the problem, as many incidents in remote areas go unreported.
The report cataloged a series of devastating attacks, including a February raid on Woro village in Kwara State where 200 people were killed and 176 abducted.
Other major incidents include the kidnapping of 150 people in Zamfara State this April and the mass abduction of over 400 people in Ngoshe, Borno State, on March 3.
The organization pointed out that the victims are not just statistics but individuals facing harrowing conditions in forest hideouts, while their families are left to crowdsource funds or sell all their possessions to meet exorbitant ransom demands.
Amnesty International further highlighted the long-term societal impact of the insecurity, noting that the fear of being targeted has forced many children out of school.
In some communities, underage girls are being pushed into early marriages as a desperate measure to shield them from being abducted by armed groups.
“What we are witnessing is a crisis of abduction that increasingly endangers lives and destroys the social fabric of rural Nigeria,” Sanusi stated, adding that the government is in breach of its constitutional obligations and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The call for action comes as the military continues to suffer high-profile losses.
President Tinubu recently expressed his condolences following the death of Brigadier-General O.O. Braimah and several soldiers during an attack on a military base in Benisheikh, Borno State.
While the President has assured the Armed Forces of continued support and better equipment, the recurring loss of senior officers and the relentless wave of rural abductions suggest that the current security strategies are struggling to stem the tide of violence.
