Rights Group Condemns Rising Killings and Abductions in Nigeria Under Tinubu, Alleges Jihadist Plot to Overthrow Government
A recent report by the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has condemned the ongoing surge of terrorist abductions and killings in Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The civic group accused armed herdsmen and jihadist groups of orchestrating most of the attacks, highlighting alarming targeted violence against both Christians and moderate Muslims.
Intersociety’s Chairman, Emeka Umeagbalasi, revealed that Nigeria hosts about 22 terror groups aiming to erase Christianity and indigenous cultures, backed by international jihad funding.
The report noted that as of May 2025, 221 abductees from Kachia, Kaduna State, remain missing.
Between January 1 and August 10, 2025, approximately 7,800 people were abducted nationwide. Plateau State recorded the highest incidents, followed by Kogi, Nasarawa, Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Benue, Katsina, Kebbi, Edo, Taraba, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Bayelsa, Gombe, and Bauchi states.
Notable kidnappings include the March 16 abduction of all passengers on an ABC Luxury Bus in Kogi State and the July 26 seizure of 11 passengers, including six Anambra law students, on the Benue-Wukari-Cameroon Road.
The report also exposed widespread attacks on moderate Muslims in northern Nigeria, citing thousands killed or kidnapped by radical Islamist factions within their communities, mainly in Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger State.
While terrorist groups like Boko Haram, ISWAP, and Ansarudeen were responsible for over 400 deaths, the Nigerian military was also linked to nearly 400 deaths and abductions, particularly in the South-East, where ethnic and religious profiling reportedly led to the kidnapping of over 300 people.
Intersociety concluded that radical Islamism remains the principal driver behind the violence, with Fulani Jihadists and Boko Haram factions at the core of the crisis that has claimed countless lives over the past 16 years.
