UN ‘shocked’ as 402 people abducted in Nigeria amid surge in mass kidnappings

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The UN human rights office on Tuesday sounded the alarm over a sharp rise in mass abductions in north-central Nigeria, as at least 402 people, mostly school children, have been abducted since Nov. 17.

"We are shocked at the recent surge in mass abductions in north-central Nigeria," spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told a UN press briefing in Geneva. “We urge the Nigerian authorities, at all levels, to take all lawful measures to ensure such vile attacks are halted and to hold those responsible to account."

Al-Kheetan said: "At least 402 people, most of them school children, have been abducted in the states of Niger, Kebbi, Kuara and Borno since the 17th of November," adding that "only 88 of them have reportedly been freed or have escaped from their captors."

"We call on the Nigerian authorities to ensure the safe return of all those still in captivity to their families, and to prevent further abductions," he said. Authorities, he added, "must also hold prompt, impartial, and effective investigations into abductions and bring those responsible to justice."

The briefing also featured a stark warning from the World Food Program (WFP) about the rapidly worsening humanitarian situation in Nigeria.

"Nearly 35 million people could face food insecurity in the next six months. That would be the highest number recorded in the country and the highest on the continent," said Chi Lael, the WFP communications officer in Nigeria.

She noted that throughout 2025, attacks by insurgent groups have intensified.

According to the spokesperson, funding shortages are severely undermining the WFP’s ability to respond. "Funding cuts have forced us to scale down nutrition programs since July, affecting more than 300,000 children," she said. "We found that where (WFP-supported nutrition) clinics closed, malnutrition levels worsened from serious to critical."

Within months, "almost 1 million people depend on WFP to survive," she added, warning that food and nutrition assistance "remain one of the few stabilizing forces in northern Nigeria."

Without it, "there is a real concern that insurgent groups could exploit people's hunger and desperation to strengthen their own influence, creating a security threat that extends far beyond Nigeria's borders," she stressed.

The spokesperson said the dire situation is being "compounded by funding shortfalls that diminish WFP’s ability to provide life-saving assistance."