Amnesty International has called on Nigerian authorities to ensure the safe and effective rescue of 15 Islamic school pupils abducted by gunmen in Tungan-Bako village, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.
The pupils were abducted on October 31, 2026, when armed men invaded the community. The attackers also kidnapped people working on a farm.
Amnesty International warned that victims of abduction were frequently subjected to torture, starvation, amputation, rape and other forms of abuse, including being forced to witness or participate in atrocities.
The organisation noted that several communities affected by the latest incident had endured repeated attacks by gunmen for years.
It expressed concern that the persistent threat of abduction was forcing thousands of children to abandon their education, while some underage girls were being withdrawn from school and forced into marriage as a precaution against being kidnapped.
According to Amnesty International, the situation represents a devastating setback to years of efforts to increase school enrolment in educationally disadvantaged parts of northern Nigeria.
The human rights organisation stressed that the authorities’ continued failure to protect the population and ensure their safety constituted a serious breach of Nigeria’s human rights obligations.
It said such obligations were enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to which Nigeria is a signatory.
Amnesty International urged the government to take urgent and effective measures to protect vulnerable communities, rescue abducted victims and prevent further attacks.
