No fewer than 2,140 people were reported kidnapped in 24 States across Nigeria between January and July 2024, findings by SUNDAY PUNCH have shown.
The research was conducted through a careful analysis of various kidnapping incidents reported in four Nigerian newspapers, namely The PUNCH, The Guardian, The Nation, and Vanguard during the period under review.
It also showed that families of 62 victims, representing 2.89% of the total abductees, paid the sum of N389m as ransom to secure their release from the kidnappers.
Over the seven months, gunmen reportedly kidnapped 193 people in January, 101 in February, 543 in March, 112 in April, 977 in May, 97 in June, and 117 in July, totaling 2,140.
A total of 667 victims were kidnapped in Zamfara, 454 in Kaduna, 252 in Niger, 183 in Abuja/FCT, 121 in Borno, 117 in Katsina, 60 in Kogi, and 47 in Ogun. Others are Delta (35), Nasarawa (31), Oyo (20), Benue (19), Rivers (13), Ondo (33), Sokoto (15), Ekiti (10), Akwa Ibom (29), Abia (10), Anambra (5), Taraba (6), and Edo (2).
Among the reported incidents by The PUNCH was the case involving 85 travelers abducted along the Kaduna-Abuja highway near Katari, in the Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna State, between January 4 and 5.
The most significant incident in February occurred on the first day of the month when a terrorist gang abducted no fewer than 60 wedding guests who were believed to be escorting a bride home in the Sabuwa Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The country also witnessed the outrageous kidnapping of no fewer than 280 pupils and teachers of Government Secondary School and LEA Primary School at Kuriga, Kaduna State, by bandits on Thursday, March 7.
That same month, terrorists kidnapped 87 people after launching a fresh attack on the Kajuru-Station community in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. This was in addition to 10 other different kidnapping incidents recorded during the month.
In April, 30 children were kidnapped by suspected bandits at Kasai village in Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State.
May witnessed the most horrific case since the beginning of the year as bandits abducted over 500 persons, killing five in 50 villages in Zamfara State, according to a House of Representatives member from the state, Bello Shinkafi, as reported by The Guardian.
Also, on May 24, bandits killed four security task force members, and three villagers in a midnight attack. They abducted no fewer than 200 residents in Niger State. Members of the Kuchi community in the Munya Local Government Area of Niger State, which the bandits invaded, described the attack as the worst of its kind in the last five years.
In June, terrorists kidnapped 20 travelers along the Maiduguri-Kano Highway, among several cases reported that month.
The increasing rate of kidnap may have contradicted a recent claim by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who said there had been a decline in crime rates across the country.
Egbetokun attributed the decline to the strategies deployed by his officers.
N389m ransom paid
Between January and July, a total sum of N389m were reported to have been paid to secure release of 62 kidnap victims.
In January, the sum of N25m was paid to a gang of kidnappers to secure the release of a hotelier in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Also, the former Minister for Communication and Digital Economy, Ali Pantami, mobilised the sum of N60m, which was paid as ransom to secure the release of Nabeeha and five of her sisters, who were abducted at their house in Abuja on January 2, 2024.
In February, the wife of a kidnapped former governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Anambra State, Obiorah Agbasimalo, told an Ihiala High Court sitting in Nnewi that her family paid N5.4m to her husband’s kidnappers. Also, kidnappers of nine persons in Ekiti State, comprising six pupils and three others, collected N15m as ransom before releasing them.
In May, the gang, which kidnapped and murdered a retired military officer in Owerri area of Imo State, Major General Richard Duru, collected the sum of $50,000 (N79.8m) as ransom from his family.
Also, the 30 kidnapped students of the Federal Polytechnic, Nasarawa, said they paid N40m as ransom before they were freed. Similarly, the Paramount Ruler of the Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Ogwong Okon Abang, paid the sum of N50m to secure his freedom from kidnappers in May.
In June, some bandits killed a ransom negotiator in Kaduna after collecting the sum of N16m to release the hostages in their custody.
In July, kidnappers collected the sum of N76m as ransom to free three among the six persons they abducted near the office of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
Worsening security in August
In the last two weeks, more Nigerians have been abducted as security agents appear helpless.
A total of 20 medical and dental students, along with a house officer, were kidnapped by gunmen in Benue State.
The victims, who were students of the University of Maiduguri and Jos, were travelling to Enugu, when they were abducted along the Otukpo/Otukpa/Enugu road.
The students were said to be heading for the Federation of Catholic Medical and Dental Students annual convention when they were ambushed around 5.30pm last Thursday.
Government functionaries are also becoming targets. The Commissioner for Youths Development in Anambra State, Patrick Aghamba, and his wife were also kidnapped on Friday.
An aide to the commissioner was said to have been killed by the hoodlums, while the victims were reportedly travelling to Abuja for the wedding of Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s daughter.
Gunmen were also reported to have kidnapped eight wedding guests during a traditional wedding in Amakor village, Nanka Community of Orumba North LGA of Anambra State.
An Ozo title holder, Emmanuel Ilo, said his escape was divine.
Police track suspects
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, insisted that the number of kidnap cases had reduced compared to previous years.
He noted that the police had built a full-fledged department headed by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police and were currently working with other agencies in the intelligence community for a proper identification index to trace criminals.
@The PUNCH
