Nigeria’s security crisis has, over the years, manifested in its most dastardly forms through violent raids on communities, leading to the killing of victims and the abduction of others. These attacks are often accompanied by destruction of property.
With kidnappers still on the prowl, there is hardly anyone living in Nigeria who feels safe anywhere in the country. Travellers on Nigerian roads, schoolchildren, teachers, and rural communities are the most affected.
In the first half of 2026, more than 1,500 people were reportedly kidnapped across Nigeria between January and April alone, with another 279 taken hostage in May. Of course, several incidents go unreported due to lack of media access or in compliance with kidnappers’ threats.
Amnesty International Nigeria recorded at least 1,100 abductions in the northern geopolitical region between January and April, while Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database estimated at least 279 kidnap victims across the country in May. Notable among these were the Orire kidnapping of pupils and teachers in Oyo State in the South-West, and a similar attack on a school in Askira-Uba, Borno State. The figures indicate nearly a 20 per cent rise compared to the same period in 2025. The half-year report further shows that Nigeria recorded at least 156 violent incidents, resulting in 842 deaths nationwide.
While the figures on kidnappings are mind-boggling, what is hardly reported are the unspeakable horrors victims endure in the dens of kidnappers, who subject them to all manner of physical, emotional, and psychological abuse.
A kidnap victim, simply identified as Aisha, has recounted the harrowing ordeal of being forced by bandits in Zamfara State to bury her children who died in captivity. She and her three children were abducted while travelling in a vehicle in Zamfara State, but she was the only survivor; her three children succumbed to the harsh conditions in which they were held for months.
“I was forced to bury every victim who died in captivity, including my own children. They first killed two of my children and then ordered me to bury them,” she said.
According to her, when her third child died, the bandits wanted to feed his remains to their dogs, but she pleaded with them to allow her to bury him.
The memories of the abuse her children endured will continue to haunt Aisha for life.
“My children constantly cried from hunger, thirst, pain, and the beatings they received from the bandits,” she said.
In another interview posted online, a female victim spoke of the brutality and sexual assault the bandits meted out on helpless girls during captivity.
Recounting her ordeal, she said: “They raped us several times. They beat us and still had sex with us. They committed a lot of atrocities against us and did not feed us well. I spent 20 days with them, and on a daily basis they raped me.”
In another viral video, a man who survived a kidnapping incident after parting with N10 million in a forest in Imo State narrated the constant death threats they faced, how they were marched from camp to camp like animals, and how the bandits forced the men to watch while they took turns to sexually molest their wives.
These blood-chilling accounts mirror the kind of heartless torment Nigerians, young and old, are subjected to daily by these outlaws.
It is because of the gravity of the crime that convicted kidnappers now receive the death penalty in some jurisdictions. In addition, certain states have enacted laws permitting the demolition of buildings belonging to individuals suspected of funding such crimes or built from their proceeds.
Such harsh punishments, and more, are justified. However, state governors must ensure that execution warrants for convicted kidnappers are signed and that sentences are carried out in accordance with the law to serve as a deterrent to others contemplating such criminal enterprise.
However, as a newspaper, it is concerning that some state governments appear to treat such wicked criminals with kid gloves. How else can one explain the reaction of the Katsina State Government to the death of former Army spokesman, retired Major General Abubakar Rabe, in the hands of his kidnappers?
The state claimed he died of complications arising from long-standing illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension. However, the late general’s family firmly rejected this claim, insisting he had no history of such ailments. His wife, who reportedly witnessed his death, stated that he died of a snakebite sustained in captivity.
The question is: where is the autopsy the Katsina State Government relied upon to make its claim? Why did it not publicly counter the family’s account if it was confident of its position? It appears the state government was attempting to exonerate the terrorists from responsibility for his death. This is a disturbing sign of its perceived policy of appeasement or negotiation.
As a newspaper, we reiterate that the Katsina State Government should note that appeasement approaches adopted by its predecessor, Bello Masari, and the Nasir El-Rufai administration in Kaduna State failed woefully, both of which later vowed to end negotiations with terrorists. We believe it—and other state governments—should treat bandit-kidnappers with the full weight of the law and appropriate severity.
Even more importantly, victims who have suffered such unspeakable horrors need immediate and long-term psychosocial support to help them recover from the trauma.
Ultimately, the government must urgently move to rescue those still in captivity and upgrade the operational capacity of the security forces with modern equipment and intelligence to effectively confront the menace.
