The Nigeria Police Force has faulted a report by Amnesty International claiming that over 1,100 people were kidnapped across the country within three months, describing the figure as unverified and lacking official confirmation.
Reacting to the report, the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Placid, said the organisation failed to consult security agencies before publishing its findings.
“What is their source of information? They didn’t consult the police or cross-check with us. We have our records, and they didn’t verify with us,” he said.
The police insisted that any credible national crime statistics must be validated through official security channels, stressing the need for collaboration between civil society organisations and law enforcement bodies.
However, Amnesty International maintained that the scale of abductions in Nigeria remains alarming, particularly in the northern region.
The organisation said between January and April 2026, at least 1,100 people were abducted, many from rural communities and camps for internally displaced persons.
The group’s Nigeria Director, Isa Sanusi, warned that the situation may be worse than reported.
“The scale of abductions is deeply concerning and likely underreported in several cases,” he said.
Amnesty added that victims often face severe conditions in captivity, including torture, starvation, sexual violence, and forced involvement in criminal activities. It also highlighted that families are increasingly forced to sell belongings or raise funds collectively to pay ransoms.
In its report, the organisation cited multiple incidents across states, including mass abductions in parts of Zamfara State, Borno State, Kaduna State, Niger State and Kwara State, where hundreds of victims were reportedly taken by armed groups within the period under review.
Amnesty further called on the administration of Bola Tinubu to urgently address the worsening insecurity and protect vulnerable populations, especially in conflict-affected areas.
Meanwhile, a former presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, expressed concern over what he described as the underreporting of killings across the country.
He warned that the continued violence, particularly in parts of northern and North-Central Nigeria, was not receiving adequate attention.
“What we are witnessing is a pattern of mass killings that fail to sustain national outrage or global attention,” he said…
He cited recent attacks in several states, including Benue State and Plateau State, where dozens of people were reportedly killed in separate incidents.
The development comes amid ongoing concerns about insecurity nationwide, with authorities reaffirming their commitment to tackling insurgency and banditry, even as calls grow for improved coordination and transparency in reporting crime data.
