Trending 
The Director of the Disabled Inclusive Future Initiative, Ya’u Zakka, has called for stronger protection and faster emergency response for persons with disabilities during security attacks, saying they are often among the most vulnerable members of affected communities.
Zakka made the appeal during the News Central Town Hall in Katsina, where stakeholders discussed practical solutions to the state’s security challenges.
#NCKatsinaTownHall: Director of disables inclusive future initiative, Ya’u Zakka, says persons with disabilities face dangers during attacks because they cannot flee quickly.
He recounts how a friend escaped captivity after pretending to be dead during a bandit raid. pic.twitter.com/B0LKRG8TDA— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) July 9, 2026
Speaking on the impact of insecurity on persons with disabilities, he said they are often unable to flee when armed attackers invade their communities.
“Mostly when there are attacks in villages, we are the most needy people that want help because we do not have the means of running away easily from our attackers,” he said.
According to him, emergency response plans should include measures that enable persons with disabilities to escape danger quickly.
“There should be a way for us to be helped so soon so that they would run away from the attackers,” he said.
Zakka recounted the experience of one of his friends, a person with disability, who narrowly escaped being abducted during an attack on his village.
“One of my friends is also a victim because when the kidnappers went to their village, he couldn’t do anything because he didn’t have legs to run away,” he said.
“He just had to lie down, pretend and continue praying to God to save him.”
The disability advocate also spoke about the challenges faced by victims who are abducted, noting that many require support after regaining their freedom.
“Victims that have been kidnapped, we give them help. We help them in many ways for them to catch up with their families,” he said.
He added that some survivors had managed to escape captivity after disagreements broke out among their captors.
“There are so many victims that were taken away into the bush. By God’s intervention, they had misunderstanding, that is how they ran away from the bush,” Zakka said.
He urged governments, humanitarian organisations and security agencies to ensure that the needs of persons with disabilities are integrated into emergency planning and response efforts so that no one is left behind during security emergencies.
