The Office of the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) strongly condemned the continued attempts to shield the individuals and forces involved in the abduction of six Naga men on 13th May 2026 from Leilon Vaiphei village under Kangpokpi district, who remain missing till date and has demanded immediate, impartial, and decisive action from the concerned authorities.
The press communique of ANSAM stated that “in retaliation to the growing public demand for accountability from the Chief of Leilon Vaiphei village, Mr. Lalboi Vaiphei, the Kuki-Zo Council (KZC), in its statement addressed to the Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah on 25th May 2026, categorically asserted that Mr. Lalboi Vaiphei had “absolutely no connection whatsoever” with the alleged abduction incident and claimed that he was away from the area for medical reasons at the time of occurrence.
“ANSAM firmly states that such explanations are baseless, unacceptable, and cannot be used as an excuse to escape responsibility. Even if the village chief was physically absent during the incident, he had village authorities and functionaries under his authority who were duty-bound to respond, intervene, and cooperate in addressing the matter. In this digital era, absence from the location cannot be conveniently used to evade accountability. As the chief of the village, Mr. Lalboi Vaiphei must take responsibility for every major incident occurring within and around the village jurisdiction.
“It is an undeniable fact that the perpetrators who abducted 18 civilians forcibly separated the 6 men from their families and were taken away in vehicles. The testimonies of the released women clearly identified “around 30 Kuki women and men” who subsequently handed over the six captives to “Kuki militants.” This itself provides a concrete starting point for investigation and action. The four individuals recently apprehended in connection with the case must face the full weight of justice, and further arrests must follow without delay.
“ANSAM also reiterates that the abduction incident is being linked to the ambush of 13th May 2026 morning, wherein three senior church leaders of the Thadou Baptist Church Association were brutally shot dead. However, it must be clearly stated that these incidents have absolutely nothing to do with the Naga people. While certain Kuki groups attempted to blame the Nagas for the ambush, the Thadou apex community bodies themselves openly clarified on the very evening of 13th May 2026 that the attack was carried out by Kuki militant factions. The truth is already before the eyes of the world, and there is no justification for falsely implicating the Nagas.
“Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM)’s denial collapses under the weight of its own contradictions and inconsistencies. Truth cannot be buried beneath orchestrated narratives and propaganda. The Naga people will not remain silent until every missing son is accounted for.
“NSAM therefore demands immediate, impartial, and decisive action from the concerned authorities to trace the missing six Naga men, ensure justice to the victims and families, and bring every individual involved in the abduction to justice without fear or favour” stated the statement issued by the Information & Publicity Cell of ANSAM.
