250 women’s rights and civil society organisations under the umbrella of Womanifesto Nigeria have condemned the rising wave of kidnappings, abductions and violent attacks targeting women, girls and children across the country.
The women’s rights and civil society organisations in a statement signed by its Convener, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi warned that the worsening insecurity has left many families living in fear and uncertainty.
The coalition expressed concern that many victims remain in captivity without rescue, justice or accountability, despite growing cases of abductions in several parts of the country, pointing out that the continued attacks on schools, communities and travellers reflect a deepening national security crisis disproportionately affecting women and children.
“Across the country, families continue to live in fear and uncertainty while countless women and girls remain missing, kidnapped or trapped in the hands of armed groups, bandits and criminal networks’, the statement said.
The coalition cited recent reports of attacks in Borno State and Oyo State where dozens of children were reportedly abducted during attacks on schools, and equally raised concerns over incidents in parts of South-West Nigeria where women travelling, farming or residing in rural communities were allegedly kidnapped and held for ransom by armed groups.
“Particularly disturbing are reports from communities in the South-West where women travelling, farming or living in rural communities have allegedly been kidnapped and held for ransom amid growing insecurity’, the statement added.
The group specifically referenced reports from Ekiti State indicating that several women, including a pregnant woman and a nursing mother, were abducted by gunmen earlier in the year.
The coalition in same vein, highlighted recent incidents in Kwara State where women and children were abducted during attacks on communities by suspected bandits and armed groups, stressing that reports indicated that over 170 residents, mostly women and children, were kidnapped from communities in Kaiama Local Government Area, while other attacks across the state targeted families, rural residents and traditional institutions.
t Womanifesto, lamented that the repeated incidents reveal systemic failures in security response and protection mechanisms across the country.
‘These incidents are not isolated. They reflect a dangerous national crisis where women and girls increasingly bear the devastating consequences of insecurity, weak law enforcement and institutional
the coalition expressed concern over what it described as delayed rescue efforts for victims still being held captive, warning that prolonged captivity exposes women and girls to severe risks including sexual violence, physical abuse, trauma and exploitation.
“Every day spent in captivity exposes women and girls to grave dangers, including sexual violence, physical abuse, trauma and exploitation. It is unacceptable that families are repeatedly left to negotiate ransoms, search forests and plead publicly for help while the state fails to guarantee their safety and freedom’, the statement said.
Womanifesto warned against what it described as the gradual normalisation of abductions across the country, noting that communities are increasingly adjusting to fear rather than receiving protection from authorities.
“Parents are withdrawing children from schools. Women are increasingly unsafe in public spaces, farms,highways and even within their own communities,” the coalition lamented.
the group called on the Nigerian Government and security agencies to intensify rescue operations for kidnapped women, girls and children still in captivity, while demanding transparent investigations into recent abductions and prosecution of perpetrators and sponsors.
The body in the statement urged authorities to strengthen security around schools, highways and rural communities where women and children remain highly vulnerable, and demanded accountability for security lapses and called for psychosocial support, medical care and reintegration assistance for survivors of abduction and violence.
Womanifesto equally advocated gender-responsive security strategies that recognise the specific risks faced by women and girls during conflict and insecurity.
“Nigeria cannot continue to lose women and children to violence while authorities offer repeated assurances without sustainable action. Every kidnapped woman or child represents a family living in anguish and a nation failing in its responsibility to protect its citizens.”