Over 60 women groups under the umbrella of Women’s Rights Organisations (WROs) have decried the increasing wave of violent attacks across Nigeria, warning that the country is currently under siege as leadership prioritises political manoeuvring over the protection of citizens.
The groups drawn from all six geopolitical zones stated this at a press conference in Abuja on Saturday, decrying the devastating impact of escalating terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping on women, children, and the disabled.
Led by the President, Women in Politics Forum Ebere Ifendu, they said “From North to South, East to West, Nigerians are living in anxiety and fear while leadership attention increasingly prioritises politics over protection.”
While pointing out that insecurity has become the daily reality of Nigerian citizens, they lamented that widespread killings and kidnappings have continued to deepen poverty, erode public trust in governance, and threaten the very survival of our nationhood and democracy.
The women’s groups highlighted a catalogue of recent massacres and abductions occurring between February and April 2026 including the North Central region where they noted the killing of 17 people in Benue State and 28 in Plateau, while in the South West, 14 people were reportedly killed by gunmen in Ondo State this month.
They insisted that women and girls are bearing a disproportionate burden of the crisis, facing conflict related violence, loss of livelihoods, and sexual exploitation.
“Smallholder women farmers face gender-specific attacks such as the burning of their storage facilities, abductions, and even rape on the way to and from their farms.
“Women and girls in IDP camps are often revictimized by practices such as ‘barter sex’ trading sex for goods and services even as they face unhygienic living conditions,” the groups noted.
Giving a summary of recent violent attacks in Nigeria, the said that between February to April 2026 in the north central alone, Plateau State recorded at least 28 killings in Jos North, Kwara State had 176 kidnapped, 35 killed in Woro village massacre.
In the North West 12 people were killed in Kaduna State and 35 abducted from churches in Kachia among others. In the North East, insurgents raids in Borno state towns of Bama, Gwoza and Chibok communities has displaced displacing thousands.
About 14 individuals also lost their lives to such violent attacks in the South west from Ondo State even as civilian and security lives were lost in Orlu and Orsu raids in the South East state of Imo.
The coalition argued that the insecurity has effectively collapsed local economies, as traders, artisans, and miners are forced to abandon their businesses.
They further noted that faith communities have become targets, pointing to the recent abduction of worshippers from Catholic and ECWA churches in Kaduna.
“Schools have become unsafe spaces, stealing the futures of many young people while unemployment fuels recruitment into violent groups,” the statement continued.
In a “Call to Action,’ the groups invoked the 1999 Constitution, reminding the Federal and State governments that the security and welfare of the people is their primary purpose.
“We hereby call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to prioritise the protection of citizens through strengthened security architecture and inclusive policies,” the coalition demanded.
They also urged the military and law enforcement agencies to adopt human rights and gender sensitive approaches and improve response times to actionable intelligence.
The charged government at all levels to ensure transparent disclosure of public spending on security, insisting that political actors must rebuild trust by proving that resources are being used effectively to halt the “pervasive and severe” challenges facing the country.
