The United Nations on Tuesday condemned the recent surge in mass kidnappings across north-central Nigeria, urging authorities to take urgent measures to halt the attacks and bring perpetrators to justice.
“We are shocked at the recent surge in mass abductions in north-central Nigeria,” UN rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters in Geneva.
He called on Nigerian authorities at all levels to take lawful steps to stop such attacks and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
The warning follows a spate of kidnappings that has seen at least 402 people, most of them schoolchildren, abducted in Niger, Kebbi, Kwara, and Borno states since 17 November. Only 88 of the victims have reportedly been freed or managed to escape.
Kheetan stressed the need for the safe return of all remaining captives, along with prompt, impartial, and effective investigations to hold the perpetrators accountable.
The surge in abductions has heightened security fears and led to school closures in parts of the country. Nigeria has faced similar crises in the past, notably the kidnapping of nearly 300 schoolgirls in Chibok, Borno State, more than a decade ago. Borno remains the centre of a long-running Islamist insurgency that has claimed over 40,000 lives since 2009.
The UN’s statement underscores the urgent need for coordinated action to protect civilians, especially children, from criminal gangs and insurgent groups operating in the region.
