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Mass abduction reported in Plateau state
Armed assailants seized 28 people, including women and children, from a bus traveling to an annual Islamic gathering in Nigeria's central Plateau state on Sunday night, local police confirmed.
Attack details and response
The victims were ambushed while en route between villages, according to police spokesperson Alabo Alfred. Authorities have since dispatched resources to the area to secure the release of those taken.
Alfred did not disclose the identities of the suspected attackers or provide further details on the rescue operation.
Ransom demands surface
A journalist in Plateau state reported that families of the abducted individuals have already received ransom demands. Nigerian law prohibits paying kidnappers, though such transactions are widely believed to occur in many cases.
Kidnappings for ransom, often carried out by criminal gangs known locally as "bandits," have surged in northern and central Nigeria in recent years. These groups frequently target travelers, villagers, and students to extort money.
Broader security context
The latest abduction follows the release of 130 schoolchildren and teachers kidnapped last month from a Catholic boarding school in Niger state. That incident, like many others, was attributed to criminal gangs rather than Islamist insurgents active in Nigeria's northeast.
The country's security challenges drew international scrutiny in November after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened military intervention, alleging targeted persecution of Christians. Nigeria's government denied the claims, asserting that insecurity affects all citizens regardless of faith.
"Recent tensions with the U.S. over insecurity and alleged Christian persecution have been largely resolved, leading to stronger bilateral relations," Information Minister Mohammed Idris stated on Monday.
Government countermeasures
Idris announced plans to deploy trained forest guards to remote areas, supplementing military efforts to disrupt criminal hideouts. The move aims to curb the activities of gangs exploiting Nigeria's vast, underpoliced forests.
The Plateau state attack underscores the persistent threat posed by kidnapping networks, which operate independently of the decade-long jihadist insurgency in the northeast.
