Recent waves of mass kidnappings in Nigeria have raised serious concerns within the United Nations, which called on Friday for thorough investigations to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. These kidnappings, which have affected hundreds of children and others, have been carried out by criminal gangs primarily operating in the northwest of the country, targeting schools, villages, and highways to quickly abduct large numbers of people for ransom.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, nearly 600 people, including hundreds of schoolchildren, are reported to have been abducted in the past week alone. Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed dismay at this situation in a statement, saying, “I am appalled by the recurring massive kidnappings of men, women, and children in northern Nigeria.”
Turk emphasized the brutality of these kidnappings, noting that children have been taken from schools and women captured while fetching firewood. He also stressed the urgency of action, stating that such horrors must never become the norm.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that at least 564 people have been abducted since March 7. While acknowledging the efforts of the Nigerian authorities to rescue the children, Turk called for swift, thorough, and impartial investigations into these kidnappings, as well as the prosecution of those responsible. He underscored the importance of identifying the perpetrators of these armed attacks and bringing them to justice, stating that this was the necessary first step to end the impunity fueling these attacks and kidnappings.
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