The United Nations has raised alarm over the rising wave of mass kidnappings across north-central Nigeria, calling on the federal government to take decisive action to end the attacks and prosecute those behind them.
UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan, speaking in Geneva, said the organisation is deeply troubled by the growing number of abductions targeting schools and communities. He urged authorities at every level to use all lawful measures to stop the violence and ensure justice for victims.
The concern follows a series of large-scale kidnappings that have reignited national debate about Nigeria’s worsening security challenges. In just a few days, hundreds of Nigerians — including nearly 350 schoolchildren — were seized in separate incidents across Niger, Kebbi, Kwara, and Borno states.
According to the UN, at least 402 people have been kidnapped since November 17, with only 88 confirmed to have escaped or been released. The organisation appealed for the safe return of everyone still held captive and pushed for thorough, impartial investigations into the attacks.
The escalating insecurity has forced widespread closure of boarding schools, especially in states affected by banditry and insurgency. More than ten years after the notorious Chibok schoolgirls’ kidnapping, Nigeria continues to face frequent ransom-driven abductions carried out by armed groups.
Borno State remains the epicentre of a long-running insurgency that has claimed over 40,000 lives since 2009, further complicating efforts to protect students and rural communities.
Amid the national concern, fresh attacks were reported earlier this week. Armed men attempted to abduct residents in Isapa community, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, but were confronted by local vigilantes in a gun battle. In Nasarawa State, unknown assailants disrupted a church crusade in Agboda community, leaving one participant injured and sending worshippers fleeing for safety.
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