Gunmen abduct 28 travellers heading to Islamic event in central Nigeria

Armed men have abducted at least 28 people travelling to an annual Islamic gathering in Nigeria’s central Plateau state, according to local sources.

The victims, including women and children, were attacked on Sunday night while travelling by bus between rural communities. Witnesses say the gunmen stopped the vehicle and forced passengers away at gunpoint.

The authorities have not yet issued an official statement, and the identity of the attackers remains unclear.

Families receive ransom demands

A journalist based in Plateau state told the BBC that relatives of those abducted have already begun receiving ransom demands from the kidnappers.

The incident comes amid growing concern over the spread of mass abductions across parts of northern and central Nigeria. Criminal gangs, often referred to locally as “bandits”, regularly target travellers, villages and schools.

Although paying ransom is illegal under Nigerian law, security analysts say it is widely believed to be how many kidnappings end, making it a key source of income for armed groups.

Kidnapping follows recent schoolchildren release

The Plateau state abductions were reported just one day after Nigerian authorities confirmed the release of the remaining 130 schoolchildren and teachers kidnapped from a Catholic boarding school in Niger state last month.

Officials said all those taken in that earlier attack had been freed after weeks in captivity, raising hopes of improved security efforts. However, the latest incident highlights the continued risks faced by civilians.

The Plateau state kidnapping is not linked to the Islamist insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria, where jihadist groups have been fighting government forces for more than a decade.

Nigeria pushes back on claims of religious targeting

Nigeria’s security situation has drawn renewed international attention in recent months. In November, US President Donald Trump threatened to send troops to what he described as a “now disgraced country”, claiming Christians were being targeted.

Nigeria’s federal government has rejected those claims, saying insecurity affects communities of all religions.

On Monday, Information Minister Mohammed Idris said recent tensions with Washington over security concerns had been “largely resolved”, leading to stronger relations between the two countries.

He also announced plans to deploy trained forest guards to patrol remote areas and forests often used as hideouts by criminal gangs, alongside ongoing military operations.