Prominent civil society actors, including Gloria Ballason, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, and other rights groups, have faulted the Nigerian Army over its claim that abducted victims of the Ariko attack in Kaduna State had been rescued.
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The coalition, in a press statement obtained by PUNCH Online on Friday, which includes House of Justice, Middle Belt Concern, Atrocities Watch Africa, and the Community Development and Rights Advocacy Foundation, insisted that all 38 abducted victims remain in captivity despite official claims to the contrary.
Recall that on Easter Sunday, gunmen attacked the Ariko community in Awon Ward, Kachia Local Government Area, killing at least five worshippers and abducting dozens during a church service.
In the aftermath of the incident, the Nigerian Army announced that 31 victims had been rescued, a claim the coalition described as “misleading” and “deeply troubling.”
“Contrary to the Army’s public statement, not a single abducted person has been rescued. Every victim remains in captivity as we speak. Families are still in direct contact with the abductors, who have confirmed that the victims are alive but being held in their camps”, the group’s statement partly read.
The coalition also cited the Kuturmi Unity Development Association as corroborating its position.
“Any claim of a successful rescue operation at this time is not only inaccurate but risks creating a false sense of security,” the statement noted.
Beyond the Ariko incident, the groups alleged a disturbing pattern of denial by authorities in addressing insecurity across Kaduna State.
“This is not an isolated case. The pattern is familiar — deny the attack, dispute the facts, and only admit the truth when public pressure becomes overwhelming,” the coalition said.
The CSOs also condemned the suspension of the Speaker of the Kachia Local Government Legislative Council, Mark Bawa, describing it as an attempt to silence dissent.
“Suspending a lawmaker for speaking on the reality faced by his constituents is a direct assault on democracy and accountability,” the group stated.
“Truth-telling should not be criminalised. What we are witnessing is intimidation, not governance,” it added.
Raising concerns over the broader security situation, the coalition warned that several communities remain under threat, with many residents displaced.
“Across Kaduna State, families are waiting in anguish while their loved ones remain in captivity. These are not statistics; they are human lives,” the statement read.
The group called on security agencies to prioritise rescue operations and urged authorities to end what it described as a cycle of misinformation.
“The priority must shift from managing narratives to saving lives. Nigerians deserve protection, honesty, and decisive action, not propaganda,” it added.’
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