A disability rights organisation has raised alarm that Nigeria’s escalating insecurity is creating a fast-growing population of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), urging the federal government to act immediately to avert a deepening humanitarian crisis.
In a statement issued Sunday in Abuja, JOSHUA K B Disabilities Rights and Support Initiatives said relentless killings, kidnappings and violent attacks nationwide are leaving thousands of survivors with life-changing injuries and no structured support.
Executive Secretary Joshua Kingsley Benneth said the organisation is disturbed by the absence of dedicated protection, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for victims who become disabled after violent incidents.
“For over two months, Nigerians have watched the rise in killings and abductions — from Benue to Taraba, Borno to Kogi — without any concrete response from authorities,” Benneth said. “These attacks are creating new disabilities, destroying livelihoods and pushing victims, including children and the elderly, into extreme hardship.”
The group referenced recent mass abductions, including the kidnapping of 300 students in Niger State and 24 girls in Kebbi State, describing the violence as “traumatic, disabling and unacceptable.”
According to the organisation, PWDs are uniquely vulnerable during crises, often unable to flee due to mobility challenges, inaccessible environments and lack of support. Benneth warned that many displaced persons with new disabilities are now exposed to abuse, exploitation and neglect.
The group called on the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, NEMA, state governments, security agencies and international partners to urgently identify and support victims who have become disabled as a result of terrorism, banditry and communal clashes.
It also urged the military to prioritise long-term care for soldiers who sustained severe injuries in the line of duty, noting that many now live as PWDs after defending the country.
Failure to act, the group warned, will create a secondary crisis of poverty, trauma and depression among victims struggling with new disabilities.
“With insecurity pushing more Nigerians into disability and destitution, the government must treat this as an urgent national emergency,” Benneth said.
Insecurity Driving Surge in Disabilities, Group Warns FG
