EDITORIAL: Why kidnapping remains Nigeria’s most immediate security challenge
Kidnapping has become one of the most disturbing features of Nigeria‘s security crisis. Hardly a week passes without reports of people being taken from their homes, intercepted on the road, or abducted while going about their daily activities.
SolaceBase observes with dismay that what was once seen as a crime confined to a few troubled areas has gradually spread across many parts of the country, and it now leaves behind fear, uncertainty, and grief almost everywhere it occurs. For countless families, the experience has become painfully familiar.
A phone call often comes in the middle of the night, and in that moment everything changes.
Relatives suddenly go missing, ransom demands follow soon after, and communities are forced to scramble for money they often do not have.
Some victims regain their freedom after weeks or even months in captivity, while others leave their families with nothing but heartbreak despite every effort made.
According to SBM Intelligence, a new report titled Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry reveals that at least 4,722 Nigerians were abducted and about N2.57 billion paid as ransom between July 2024 and June 2025.
Behind those figures are thousands of individual tragedies, families selling property, borrowing money, and in many cases still not knowing whether their loved ones will return alive.
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This growing menace has raised deeper questions about the country’s security structure and how effectively it responds to emerging threats.
While officials continue to point to gains in the fight against terrorism, many Nigerians feel that kidnapping for ransom has taken on a life of its own, spreading quietly into areas once considered safe.
Recent events across the country bring this concern into sharper focus.
In February 2026, communities in Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State experienced one of the deadliest attacks in recent memory, with dozens of residents reportedly killed.
As the scale of the tragedy became clearer, families and local authorities were forced into mass burials in the aftermath.
Even after the burials, many families were still searching for missing loved ones, unsure whether they were dead or alive.
The attack left survivors shaken and communities scattered.
People fled their homes in different directions, and for days afterwards, fear hung heavily over the area.
Beyond the loss of lives, the incident exposed once again how vulnerable rural communities remain, even when warnings of suspicious movements are often shared before such attacks occur.
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Only a few months later, in May 2026, another attack in Kwara State reinforced those fears.
Bandits stormed Yashikira in Baruten Local Government Area, forcing the Emir to flee for safety while members of his family were abducted.
Parts of the palace were also set ablaze during the raid, an act that carried both symbolic and psychological weight for the community.
The attack sent shockwaves beyond the state, not only because of its brutality but also because of its target. Traditional rulers are often seen as symbols of authority and stability, and when such figures are directly affected, it deepens public anxiety about how far criminal networks have expanded.
Earlier still, in April 2026, another traditional ruler in Kwara State was abducted by armed men.
That incident came shortly after similar cases involving other title holders in the state.
Taken together, these events point to a troubling pattern in which community leaders are no longer spared from direct attacks.
The situation is not limited to traditional institutions. In Katsina State, retired Major General Rabe Abubakar and his wife were abducted in May 2026 while travelling through Matazu Local Government Area.
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The incident drew national attention not only because of the identity of the victims, but because it challenged a long-held assumption about vulnerability.
If a retired senior military officer can be kidnapped on a public road, then ordinary citizens are left with even more difficult questions about their own safety.
It also reflects how adaptable and widespread kidnapping networks have become, operating across different terrains and targeting victims based on opportunity rather than location alone.
In Kaduna State, a deadly attack by armed bandits disrupted a wedding celebration in Kahir village, located in Kagarko Local Government Area, in March 2026, leaving at least 13 people dead while several others were abducted and others injured.
A journey or celebration that should have been filled with joy instead turned into fear and uncertainty for families on both sides.
Such incidents have become more frequent along rural highways where security presence is limited and response times are often slow.
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Earlier, on January 13, 2026, bandits attacked a wedding convoy in Unar, Katsina State, abducting several guests, though nine later escaped.
In another incident on November 30, 2025, a bride, her bridesmaid, and numerous guests were abducted from Chacho village in Sokoto State.
Against this backdrop, the recent remarks by the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd), deserve careful reflection.
The minister said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had recorded between 65 and 70 per cent success in addressing insecurity, particularly in the fight against terrorism.
He pointed to improved intelligence gathering, stronger cooperation between security agencies, and the elimination of several terrorist commanders as evidence of progress.
There is no doubt that Nigeria’s security forces have recorded notable achievements in recent years.
Terrorist groups have been weakened in several regions, and military operations have disrupted long-standing networks of insurgents.
These gains are real and deserve recognition.
However, many Nigerians judge security in a different way. They do not measure it in percentages or operational statistics, but in everyday experiences.
They ask whether they can travel without fear, whether their children can attend school safely, and whether their communities can sleep at night without anxiety.
Viewed from this perspective, a contradiction becomes clear.
While terrorism may have been weakened in some areas, kidnapping continues to expand, affecting ordinary citizens in more direct and personal ways.
The Federal Government has often emphasised community participation in security, and on paper, the idea is sound.
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Forest guards, vigilantes, and local intelligence networks exist in many communities, and they often understand the terrain better than anyone else.
They notice unfamiliar movement in the forests and often hear early warnings before attacks occur. But the real question is what happens after that information is shared.
In many communities, residents insist that suspicious movements are reported before attacks take place.
The concern, therefore, is not always about intelligence gathering, but about how quickly such intelligence translates into action.
Are these warnings taken seriously? Do they reach the right security formations in time? And when they do, is there a swift response, or delays that allow attackers to escape before intervention?
These are difficult questions, but they are necessary ones. Because intelligence alone does not prevent crime. Action does.
It is also important to acknowledge that Nigeria’s security agencies have recorded gains in the fight against terrorism, particularly in degrading insurgent capabilities in some regions. Those achievements should not be overlooked.
Yet, the persistence of kidnapping and mass abductions suggests that success in one area has not fully translated into safety in another.
And until ordinary Nigerians can live without the constant fear of abduction, the conversation about security success will remain incomplete.
Ultimately, Nigerians are not asking for a country free of crime.
What they are asking for is simpler: the confidence that they can live their lives without constantly fearing that a journey, a school day, or even a night at home could end in tragedy.
Until that confidence is restored, the fight against kidnapping remains unfinished.
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