At a press conference in Mexico City, Türk said it was painful to hear testimonies from relatives who have spent years searching for loved ones without answers, often putting their own lives at risk. He called for a national commitment centred on truth, transparency, recognition of victims’ pain and firm state action.

Türk’s visit focused heavily on enforced disappearances, a crisis the UN has repeatedly described as one of the most serious in the world . According to UN figures, more than 130,000 people are officially registered as disappeared or missing in Mexico.

The warning comes weeks after the UN Committee on Enforced Disappearances asked for Mexico’s case to be urgently referred to the UN General Assembly under Article 34 of the convention, citing the scale and persistence of the crisis. The committee pointed to thousands of clandestine graves, tens of thousands of unidentified remains and a severely strained forensic system.

Kaduna state police commissioner, Alhaji Muhammad Rabiu, described the reports as “mere falsehood which is being peddled by conflict entrepreneurs who want to cause chaos.”

The initial reports alleged that over 100 people were kidnapped in coordinated attacks on three churches in Kurmin Wali and the Kajuru Local Government Area. Victims were said to include women and children, who were reportedly taken to an unknown location.

Rev. John Joseph Hayab, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 northern states, confirmed the incident to local publication Vanguard . He said some people managed to escape while many others were still missing.

Similarly, a community leader from Kurmin Wali, Ishaku Dan'azumi Sarkin, also told the BBC that 177 people were kidnapped from three churches. He noted that 11 escaped, several were injured, and no deaths were recorded.

However, police commissioner Rabiu challenged the validity of the reports, saying, “Anyone [should] list the names of the kidnapped victims and other particulars.”

Dauda Madaki, chairman of Kajuru local government area, said security forces were sent to the area after the reports surfaced, but found no evidence of an attack. “I asked the village head, Mai Dan Zaria, and he said that there was no such attack,” Madaki said.

Police also referenced comments from the state’s commissioner for internal security and home affairs, who said religious leaders visited the area. “They found out that what was pushed out to the public sphere was completely false,” he reportedly said.

Mass kidnappings are not new to northern Nigeria. In November 2025, coordinated abductions led to the closure of several schools. During that month, over 300 students and 38 church members were kidnapped between the 17th and 23rd.

Amid the November abductions, Nigerian officials linked the rise in kidnappings to the United States threatening military action over alleged “mass killing of Christians”, saying it may have provoked retaliation from armed groups.

On Christmas Day, the U.S. carried out airstrikes on two Islamist militant camps in north-western Nigeria. Earlier in the month, U.S. President Donald Trump warned of more strikes if attacks on Christians continued.

“The Federal Ministry of Education assures parents, guardians, and the general public that the safety, welfare, and well-being of students remain a top priority,” the ministry stated. It also emphasised that the federal government remains committed to protecting the rights of every Nigerian child to access education in a secure environment.

Although the statement did not specify the exact date when the schools resumed operations, it noted that many students are now concluding their December academic programmes, while others have completed their examinations.

The ministry reiterated that it continues to collaborate with relevant security agencies to ensure sustained stability in school environments across the nation.

The closures were prompted by a series of coordinated abductions between 17 and 23 November. During this period, armed groups kidnapped over 300 students and 38 church congregants in northern Nigeria. 

Among the incidents, at least 25 schoolgirls were taken from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, northwestern Nigeria, with one girl reported to have escaped from the abductors.

Subsequently, more than 100 pupils and teachers were abducted from St Mary's School in north-central Nigeria’s Niger State.

In response, several neighbouring states temporarily shut down schools within their territories. The federal government later secured the release of 100 abducted individuals on 7 December. However, some pupils remain in captivity.

The resurgence of mass school abductions—more than a year after the previous major incident in March 2024 —has been attributed to various factors. 

Authorities link the renewed attacks to a recent statement from the United States threatening military action over alleged “mass killing of Christians”, which the government says may have triggered retaliation from armed groups.

A Sunday Vanguard investigation has revealed that Sokoto, Kwara, Kebbi, Katsina, Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kogi, and Niger are now major strongholds of armed groups blending local banditry with foreign jihadist combat styles. The report shows that foreign fighters fleeing instability in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have joined Nigerian bandit cells, strengthening their operational sophistication. Unlike Boko Haram or ISWAP, these networks have no rigid structure, instead operating through kingpins, forest-based camps, and tribal affiliations. Groups like Lakurawa and Mahmuda are prominent, but hundreds of micro-cells shift leadership frequently to avoid detection. This fluidity has enabled seamless cross-state attacks with no consistent patterns, worsening insecurity across the northwest and north-central regions.

Kogi church abductions

A newly established Cherubim and Seraphim Church in Ejiba, Yagba West (Kogi State) was attacked during Sunday service, triggering panic as worshippers fled under gunfire. The pastor, known locally as Orlando, was kidnapped alongside his wife and several congregants. Residents described the ordeal to Vanguard as “terrifying” and said the bandits stormed the community without warning. The number of abducted worshippers remains unconfirmed, and the police have yet to issue an official statement.

Drug bust

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled a Lagos-based drug distribution network that packaged Canadian Loud (a potent cannabis strain) in designer cookie packs, snack wrappers, and teddy bears for sale via WhatsApp. Two masterminds, Deji Adesanya and Olubiyi Majekodunmi, were arrested during a raid in Lekki, where officers recovered 5 kg of Loud ("Loud" is a slang term commonly used for high-quality, potent cannabis ) and large quantities of fake packaging, the Punch reports. In a separate operation, NDLEA arrested a major dealer, Philip Ucheka, in Mushin while he was receiving 110 pouches (55.6 kg) of Loud. Three delivery vehicles were also seized. 

$12.4 million National Assembly complex funds

Rights group SERAP has filed a lawsuit against Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, and the National Assembly Service Commission over alleged failure to explain the whereabouts of ₦18.6 billion allocated for the NASC office complex. The 2022 Auditor-General’s report flagged concerns about potential misappropriation, including payments to an unknown or fictitious contractor. The Guardian reports that SERAP is seeking a court order compelling full disclosure of procurement records, contractor identities, and tender documents. The organisation said, “Nigerians have the right to know the whereabouts of the ₦18.6 billion.”

Osun politician Adeoti dumps Aregbesola, quits ADC

Former Osun SSG Moshood Adeoti has severed ties with Rauf Aregbesola and withdrawn from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after reports that the party plans to hand its 2026 governorship ticket to former Speaker Najeem Salam. Adeoti, once Aregbesola’s ally but later suspended from APC for “anti-party activities,” said leaving the ADC and Omoluabi Progressives was “difficult but necessary.” The ADC leadership reportedly favours zoning the governorship ticket to Osun West, where both Adeoti and Salam come from. Still, Salam was chosen as the consensus candidate, triggering the fallout, The Nation reports.

Many of the provinces carry names rooted in Indigenous languages such as Quechua, Mapuche, and Guaraní. Others have Spanish colonial or religious origins.

For example:

Even more interesting translations, such as “Very Pronounced Point Between Two Rivers” (Chaco) or “Prickly Plant Fruit” (Tucumán), come from Indigenous terms describing local landscapes, flora, or cultural practices.

Tinubu said he cancelled his planned trip to the G20 summit in South Africa to personally oversee security efforts at home. He added that he continues to receive “continuous updates from the frontline” as operations to locate remaining victims continue.

“Thanks to the efforts of our security forces over the last few days, all the 38 worshippers abducted in Eruku, Kwara State have been rescued. I am equally happy that 51 out of the missing students of the Catholic School in Niger State, have been recovered,” he wrote.

“Every Nigerian, in every state, has the right to safety and under my watch, we will secure this nation and protect our people ,” Tinubu said. “Let me be clear: I will not relent.”

The president’s comments come after rising public pressure over repeated mass abductions and attacks by armed groups in several parts of the country. While security forces have reported several successful rescue operations in recent months, Nigerians continue to express concerns over the pace of reforms and the capacity of the government to prevent future kidnappings .

Tinubu praised the military, police and intelligence agencies for their efforts and urged citizens to remain calm as operations continue. Officials have not yet released details about the conditions of the rescued victims or whether any arrests were made during the operations.

In a separate similar raid , assailants attacked St. Mary’s Catholic School in Niger State on November 21, abducting both pupils and staff.

Kidnappings of children from schools have become a recurring nightmare in Nigeria. Between 2014 and December 2022, about 1,683 students were kidnapped, according to a Save the Children–backed report .

The trend has roots in both ideological and criminal violence, while Boko Haram once drew international attention with mass abductions, today many kidnappings are carried out by loosely organised “bandit” groups whose primary motive appears to be ransom.

What makes schools particularly vulnerable is the combination of weak security and the profitability of these attacks. Many of the perpetrators are well-armed, operating in remote or semi-remote areas, and they exploit gaps in state protection.

In the Kebbi raid, for example, the attackers came on motorcycles, scaled a fence, and exchanged fire with police before fleeing into nearby forests, a terrain they know well. Once students are taken, they often disappear into these hideouts, making rescue operations complex and high-risk.

Despite past efforts, initiatives such as Nigeria’s Safe School Initiative have struggled to keep pace with the scale of the threat. Many schools remain under-protected, and communities in affected regions live in constant fear.

“The country is no longer safe for its children,” A Catholic bishop said after the St. Mary’s Catholic School attack.

The human cost of all this goes beyond the immediate danger of abduction. Kidnapped students may suffer trauma, their families live in perpetual fear, and the fabric of education in affected areas is being eroded. Some schools have been closed down temporarily after attacks.

In response, Nigeria’s security forces have launched rescue operations. According to officials, teams are combing forests, deploying along escape routes, and intensifying intelligence-led missions.

But analysts warn that unless the root causes, poverty, weak state presence in rural areas, and the economic incentives driving bandits, are addressed, the cycle may well continue.