The Nigerian Police Force has questioned a report by Amnesty International claiming that at least 1,100 persons were kidnapped across Nigeria within three months, describing the figure as unverified and not cross-checked with security agencies.
Reacting to the report on Sunday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Placid, challenged the source of the data, insisting that the organisation did not consult the police before publishing its findings.
“What is their source of information? They didn’t consult the police or cross-check with us,” Placid said.
“We have our records. And they didn’t check with us. If they didn’t consult us, then you should know better. Ask for the source of their report.”
Amnesty International had, in a statement, called on the Federal Government to urgently tackle worsening insecurity, particularly in northern Nigeria, where it said mass abductions have become rampant. The organisation stated that between January and April 2026, at least 1,100 people were abducted, mostly in rural communities and among internally displaced persons.
It added that victims are often subjected to abuses such as torture, starvation, rape, and forced participation in violent acts.
According to Amnesty’s Nigeria Director, Isa Sanusi, the scale of abductions is alarming and may even be underreported in some instances.
The group cited several incidents across states, including a February 3 attack on Woro village in Kwara State, where 200 people were reportedly killed and 176 abducted, and the abduction of 150 people in early April in Zamfara State.
Amnesty also quoted a resident of Woro community who recounted the ordeal, saying, “They abducted 176 people, including my second wife and my three daughters. One of them is only two years old. It has been almost two months now, and they are still in that forest.”
The police maintained that any credible report on crime statistics must be verified with official records, underscoring the need for collaboration between civil society groups and security agencies.
Meanwhile, a former presidential candidate, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, raised concern over what he described as the underreporting of mass killings across Nigeria, warning that growing global silence reflected a dangerous devaluation of human lives. He cited recent attacks in Kebbi, Kwara, Benue, and Plateau states, estimating that between 130 and 300 people may have been killed within a short period across the affected regions.
