At least 2,000 residents of Dekera District in Niger have fled to neighbouring Benin Republic following attacks by gunmen in the area, Amnesty International Nigeria has said.
The organisation said hundreds of people were abducted when gunmen raided mosques in the area last Friday.
Amnesty International Nigeria disclosed this in a statement posted on its Facebook page on Friday.
It called on President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to urgently address the increasing cases of abductions targeting rural communities in northern Nigeria.
The organisation said at least 1,100 people had been abducted across Nigeria between January and April 2026.
It said victims of abductions were often subjected to torture, starvation, amputation and rape, while some were forced to witness or commit atrocities.
“Many of the communities affected by the abductions have for years also endured frequent attacks by gunmen,” it said.
Amnesty International Nigeria said estimates of abductions by gunmen and armed groups across Nigeria varied, adding that some commonly cited figures significantly understated the scale of the problem.
It said Borgu had been repeatedly attacked and was currently facing what it described as an unprecedented tragedy of killings and displacement.
“Authorities must do more to prevent further attacks, rescue those abducted and bring to justice those suspected of being behind these atrocities,” the organisation said.
It urged the authorities to intensify efforts to protect vulnerable communities, rescue victims of abduction and ensure that perpetrators were brought to justice.
