BREAKING: At Least 1100 Nigerians Abducted Since January Under Tinubu Govt – Amnesty Int’l Demands Urgent Action
In a press release issued on Saturday ,11 April 2026, the organisation said President Bola Tinubu and his government must urgently respond to the “horrifying spate of abductions targeting rural communities and internally displaced persons (IDP) in the northern part of the country.”
A new report by global human rights organisation, the Amnesty International has raised the alarm over the worsening wave of abductions across Nigeria, stating that at least 1100 people were kidnapped between January and April 2026, mostly in northern states.
In a press release issued on Saturday ,11 April 2026, the organisation said President Bola Tinubu and his government must urgently respond to the “horrifying spate of abductions targeting rural communities and internally displaced persons (IDP) in the northern part of the country.”
The report noted that the victims of the abductions are frequently subjected to severe abuse, including torture, starvation, amputation, rape, and forced participation in or witnessing of atrocities.
It added that many affected communities have for years also endured repeated attacks by armed groups.
According to Isa Sanusi, Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, the nature of violence has increasingly shifted toward large-scale kidnappings for ransom.
“Apart from killing people, gunmen are now on a rampage of abductions – largely for lucrative ransom. Some stay months at the mercy of gunmen in a punishing situation. Estimates of the number of abductions by gunmen and armed groups across Nigeria vary and some of the commonly cited figures vastly understate the scale of the problem,” said Isa Sanusi Director Amnesty International Nigeria.
The organisation documented several major incidents across the country. On 3 February 2026, armed men invaded Woro village in Kaiama local government area of Kwara State, killing 200 people and abducting 176 others.
In Zamfara State, gunmen reportedly abducted 150 people during coordinated attacks on Kurfa Danya and Kurfan Magaji villages in Bukkuyum local government area, with most victims said to be women and children.
In Borno State, on 19 March, Boko Haram fighters abducted over 100 people in an attack on displaced persons working in the Kumbul forest near Mafa. Earlier, on 3 March 2026, Boko Haram fighters attacked Ngoshe town in Gwoza local government area, abducting more than 400 people and laying siege to the community.
Other incidents include the abduction of 57 people in Niger State on 3 January 2026 during an attack on Kasuwan Daji community in Borgu local government area. On 22 March, 30 people were abducted after gunmen attacked three churches in Kachia local government area of Kaduna State.
On 30 March, 18 passengers travelling in a commercial bus from Abuja to Sokoto were abducted along Mayanci in Zamfara State. Earlier, on 19 February 2026, 92 people were abducted in Zamfara State, with 42 taken in Anka local government area and another 50 in Tsafe local government area.
The report also referenced a mass abduction on 18 January 2026 in Kurmin Wali village in Kajuru local government area of Kaduna State, where armed men attacked three churches during morning worship and abducted at least 166 people, who were later reported to have been released.
One resident of Woro community in Kwara State gave a harrowing account of the attack to Amnesty International: “They didn’t just kill; they stole our life away. They abducted 176 people, including my second wife and my three daughters. One of them is only two years old.I have seen the video they posted on social media. I heard my wife’s voice. I saw my people. It has been almost two months now,and they are still in that forest.”
The organisation said that in most cases, abductions are accompanied by killings, looting, and destruction of property. It added that families are often forced to sell belongings or raise ransom through community contributions, while those unable to pay face death, disappearance, or prolonged torture.
“In almost all cases of these abductions people were also killed, homes and shops looted and razed. In some cases, families must dispose of everything they have to pay ransom, while villages often do crowdfund to rescue their people. Those who could not pay are sometimes either killed, disappeared or tortured more. What we are witnessing right now in the northern part of Nigeria is a crisis of abduction that increasingly endanger lives,” said Sanusi.
Amnesty International warned that the persistent threat of kidnapping is having a devastating social impact, particularly on education, as thousands of children abandon school due to fear of abduction.
It also noted that underage girls are being withdrawn from school and forced into early marriage as a preventive measure against kidnapping.
It said many cases in remote communities remain underreported, while accusing authorities of failing in their constitutional and international human rights obligations.
“This failure by the authorities to promote and ensure the security and safety of the population constitutes a serious breach of their human rights obligations,including under the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’Rights to which Nigeria is a state party,” said Isa Sanusi.
There have been concerns over state of insecurity in Nigeria with the government blamed for failure and inactivity in tackling the rising attacks across board by bandits and terrorists.
