Daredevil Kidnappers Abduct 1,290 People in Nigeria, Details Emerge

• The menace of kidnapping is spreading fast across the country, turning Nigerians into nervous wrecks
• Nigeria, with one of the strongest armies in Africa, is struggling to tackle rising insecurity that puts vulnerable groups at risk
• Legit.ng reports that the abductions are not confined to the north, where banditry and armed religious groups are prevalent, but have been seen in the south too

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering security and public journalism.

FCT, Abuja - A new data has revealed that at least 1,290 people may have been kidnapped in Nigeria since the beginning of 2024.

As reported by The Punch on Saturday, June 29, the figure was from an analysis of Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflict Database reports, published between January 1 and June 22, 2024.

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Legit.ng reports that Nextier is an African-based international development consulting firm based in Abuja.

Also, the reports revealed that about 800 people were abducted between July 2023 and December 2023 under the current administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Reacting, Muyiwa Adejobi, the spokesperson of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), lamented that the payment of ransoms had encouraged criminals to continue their illegal affairs.

Adejobi said:

“Every kidnapper demands ransom because it is a business.

"We don’t want people to just play to the gallery of these kidnappers who work on their psyche to make them pay. They need to talk to us (police) in confidence."

The Nigerian police's mouthpiece added:

"I don’t want Nigerians or the relatives of victims to believe that we are incapacitated and unable to rescue any victim.”

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More to read on kidnapping scourge in Nigeria

• Panic as kidnappers abduct company MD, 3 foreign nationals in Lagos
• Police talk tough against trend of self-kidnapping as suspects arrested in Lagos, Plateau, Abuja
• Insecurity: Obasanjo reveals cause of banditry, kidnapping in Nigeria
• Kidnapped Kaduna 287 schoolchildren released

Kidnappings: Shehu Sani identifies cause

Legit.ng also reported that Shehu Sani, a former senator from Kaduna, said the deterioration of security in parts of Abuja is a direct result of the security situation in the states around the federal capital territory (FCT).

Sani, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), asserted that Abuja cannot be immune "as long as its neighbours are infected".

Proofreading by James Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng