Amnesty International has warned of a worsening abduction crisis in northern Nigeria, revealing that at least 1,100 people were kidnapped between January and April 2026.
In a statement, the group urged Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take urgent action to address escalating insecurity, particularly in rural communities and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.
According to Amnesty, victims are often subjected to torture, starvation, and other forms of abuse, with kidnappings largely driven by armed groups seeking ransom payments. It added that the true scale of the crisis may be higher due to underreporting.
The report highlighted multiple large-scale attacks across states including Kwara, Zamfara, Borno, Kaduna, and Niger, where hundreds of civilians were abducted in coordinated raids, often accompanied by killings and destruction of property.
Beyond the immediate violence, the organisation warned of growing social and economic impacts, noting that fear of abduction is forcing many children out of school, while some families resort to early marriages as a coping strategy.
Amnesty International accused authorities of failing to adequately protect citizens and called for intensified security operations, safe rescue of victims, and prosecution of perpetrators.
The warning underscores rising concerns over insecurity in northern Nigeria, where mass abductions and attacks by armed groups continue to threaten lives and livelihoods.
