Amnesty International has raised the alarm over what it described as “escalating insecurity in Nigeria,” stating that over 1,100 persons were kidnapped across Northern Nigeria between January and April, 2026.
In a statement posted on Sunday via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, the organisation urged the federal government to take “urgent and decisive action” to stem the tide of abductions, particularly in rural communities and among the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
“President Bola Tinubu and his government must urgently address the country’s horrifying spate of abductions… as at least 1,100 people have been abducted in three months,” it noted in the statement.
Amnesty International vlaimed that victims are frequently subjected to grave human rights abuses, including torture, starvation, rape and forced participation in violent activities.
It added that several abductees are held for months under harsh conditions, while ransom demands are negotiated.
The Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, said the scale of abductions across the country is often underreported, warning that armed groups are increasingly targeting civilians for financial gain.
The organisation highlighted several incidents across multiple states.
These include a February 3rd attack on Woro village in Kwara State, where about 200 people were reportedly killed and 176 abducted, as well as the abduction of 150 persons in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State in early April.
Other cases cited include the kidnapping of over 100 displaced persons by Boko Haram fighters near Mafa in Borno State in March, and the abduction of more than 400 people in Ngoshe, Gwoza Local Government Area of the same state on March 3rd.
In addition, 57 people were kidnapped in Niger State in January, while 18 passengers travelling from Abuja to Sokoto were abducted on March 30 along a route in Zamfara State.
Amnesty also noted further that 92 people were abducted in Zamfara on February 19, alongside multiple incidents in Kaduna State, including the abduction of at least 166 worshippers during a church attack in Kajuru.
In Benue State, the organisation reported that at least 17 people were killed in Mbalom during Easter celebrations, with more than 500,000 residents displaced by recurring violence.
Several of the displaced, it said, lack access to basic necessities such as food, water and healthcare.
Amnesty warned that the growing wave of kidnappings is pushing families into extreme poverty, as many are forced to sell their possessions or rely on community fundraising to pay ransom.
Those unable to meet demands, it disclosed, are often killed, tortured or left to disappear.
“What we are witnessing… is a crisis of abduction that increasingly endangers lives,” Sanusi said, adding that the situation is also disrupting education, with children forced out of school and young girls pushed into early marriages for safety.
The organisation criticised Nigerian authorities for failing to uphold their constitutional and international obligations to protect citizens, describing the situation as a serious breach of human rights commitments.
The report comes amid persistent banditry and insurgency in Nigeria’s North-West and North-East regions.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has reiterated his administration’s commitment to ending terrorism, following the killing of Brig.-Gen. Oseni Braimah and other soldiers by insurgents in Borno State.
He urged the Armed Forces to remain resolute, assuring them of the nation’s continued support in the fight against insecurity.
