Amnesty International has criticised the Nigerian government over what it described as continued failure to effectively address worsening insecurity in the country, following the abduction of dozens of residents in Zamfara State.
According to reports, armed bandits kidnapped at least 39 villagers in Zamfara State after luring them to what was supposed to be a reconciliation meeting between community members and armed groups in Magamin Diddi village, Maradun Local Government Area. Authorities and local sources said the victims were seized during the gathering and taken into the forest.
The incident is one of several recent mass abductions in the north-west, where armed groups continue to target rural communities through raids, ransom kidnappings, and attacks on farmlands and roads.
Amnesty International, reacting to the development, condemned the growing pattern of mass kidnappings in Nigeria and urged authorities to take urgent and sustained action to protect civilians, particularly in rural communities that remain vulnerable to repeated attacks.
The organisation has repeatedly warned that insecurity in northern Nigeria has escalated into a broader humanitarian crisis, with thousands of people abducted in recent months and many communities left exposed to armed groups operating with little resistance.
Security agencies are yet to release detailed updates on rescue efforts, but operations to locate the abducted villagers are reportedly ongoing.
The Zamfara incident adds to growing concerns over the persistence of banditry and mass abductions in several northern states, despite repeated government assurances of improved security responses.
Source: Sahara Reporters
