Still in the Grip of the Kidnapping Crisis

The holiday season is approaching, and for numerous Nigerians who typically return to their hometowns to reunite with family and friends and...

The holiday season is approaching, and for numerous Nigerians who typically return to their hometowns to reunite with family and friends and participate in various social events, there is a growing concern about whether they can safely complete their travels and come back home. This is due to the increased risks associated with such movements, as kidnappers operate along the roads, posing a significant threat.

Regrettably, the practice of kidnapping for ransom and other malicious reasons has turned into a widespread issue in Nigeria. Indeed, a certain report indicates that Nigeria ranks among the countries with the highest rates of ransom-based kidnappings globally. It is grouped with Venezuela, Mexico, Yemen, Syria, the Philippines, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia in this troubling category.

The practice of kidnapping gained prominence as a forceful tactic used by Niger Delta activists, who seized foreign workers employed at oil facilities to highlight the poverty and environmental destruction caused by oil exploration in their region.

Later, terrorists and bandits began using this method to generate funds for their activities. Today, numerous small groups of criminals are engaged in it, and it has evolved into a profitable billion-dollar criminal business throughout Nigeria.

As per a report from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), roughly 2,235,954 Nigerians were taken between May 2023 and April 2024. This data, published in its Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS) 2024, also indicated that citizens paid around N2.23 trillion in ransom to abductors during the same timeframe.

A newer study from SBM Intelligence revealed that N2.56 billion was paid in ransoms between July 2024 and June 2025. The organization stated that kidnapping for ransom has emerged as one of the quickest expanding illegal activities in Nigeria, causing serious social and economic impacts. It not only takes away individuals' hard-earned funds, making them poorer, but also deters foreign investors from establishing their businesses in Nigeria.

Regrettably, there is scarcely a day when reports of kidnappings do not emerge throughout the nation. Individuals are taken either alone or in groups.

A young attorney named Peace Onyesom Udoka, along with her sister Gift Onyesom, were taken on Friday, 26 September 2025, on the Okene-Auchi highway in Kogi State. They were returning home from her Call to Bar event in Abuja, which had occurred three days prior. The two were aboard a public transportation bus heading towards Benin, in Edo State. The kidnappers initially asked for a ransom of N100 million for their release, which was later lowered to N20 million per individual, making a total of N40 million.

A second victim was Aisha Wahab, a student who was taken from Igbira Camp in Auchi, Edo State on Saturday, 11 October. Her case gained public attention when activists utilized social media sites like Instagram and Facebook to work with her family in raising money to fulfill the kidnappers' N20 million request.

In June, women from the Agbarho community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State organized a demonstration regarding the vanishing of at least 26 children aged between three and ten years old within the community over the past few months.

These are just some examples that gain media coverage; many other incidents, however, go unnoticed. Indeed, there is almost no one in Nigeria who is not aware of a relative, friend, or fellow community member who has been taken hostage.

Buses moving between different regions of Nigeria are frequently seized by kidnapping groups and taken into the forest, where the family and acquaintances of the victims are reached to pay the requested ransom. Some individuals are released alive, while others are not.

Regrettably, the Nigerian government seems to be neglecting this crime as much as it should. Although the Nigerian Police Force frequently displays suspected kidnappers, the issue is not showing any signs of decreasing. Individuals traveling inside the country—whether by road or rail—move about with evident fear of kidnappers. They are aware that even with available tracking technologies, they are unlikely to be rescued. The two women mentioned earlier were held captive for four days and two weeks respectively, yet no genuine attempt was made to locate their captors and rescue them until their ransoms were paid.

In our view, the police and other security organizations are not taking sufficient measures to stop abductions or recover those who have been taken. This indifferent approach by the authorities is likely to encourage lawbreakers.

As a newspaper, we assert that with the military now taking the lead in fighting terrorism, the police must consider it their top priority to address the widespread kidnapping incidents in Nigeria. Their current lack of action is unacceptable.

It is common for intelligence organizations to increase their activities during the Christmas season to guarantee a safe and pleasant celebration. We encourage them to intensify their actions, particularly in areas known for kidnappings.

After this season, the police, in partnership with other security organizations, need to develop a practical strategy to put an end to the problem of kidnapping for ransom across the nation.

Copyright 2025 Leadership. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (okay1).

Tagged: Nigeria, Legal and Judicial Affairs, West Africa

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