Nigeria's Kidnapping Epidemic: 2.2m Cases, N2.2tr Ransom Paid in 12 Months

The prevailing insecurity in Nigeria has been underscored by a security expert, Prof. Oyesoji Aremu, who revealed that the country has witnessed an alarming 2.2 million kidnapping incidents within a single year. This staggering figure is accompanied by an estimated N2.2 trillion in ransom payments, as disclosed by Aremu during a public lecture at Adekunle Ajasin University in Ondo State. The lecture, organised by the Social Sciences Students’ Association, delved into Nigeria's standing on global security indexes and the mounting human and economic toll of insecurity. Aremu cited National Bureau of Statistics data, highlighting the emergence of a sophisticated 'ransom economy' driven by banditry, kidnapping syndicates, and insurgent networks across the nation. The Vice-Chancellor of the university, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Adebisi Daramola, described the lecture as timely and relevant to Nigeria's current security challenges. Meanwhile, the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Adesuyi Adebukola, called for sustained collaboration among stakeholders, emphasizing that insecurity remains a significant obstacle to national development. In a related development, operatives of the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as the Amotekun Corps, have arrested individuals disguising themselves as lunatics to commit crimes in parts of the state. The arrested suspects were allegedly involved in kidnapping, drug trafficking, and robbery operations. The Amotekun Commander in the state, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed that the new tactics adopted by the criminals were uncovered following intelligence on their modus operandi. The South-West Youths Forum has also expressed concern over the rising wave of insecurity in the region, warning that the region's long-standing reputation for relative peace and stability is under threat. The forum noted that growing incidents of banditry, kidnapping for ransom, farmer-herder clashes, and the infiltration of criminal elements are affecting communities across the zone. Similarly, the National President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Francis Wale Oke, has lamented the worsening state of insecurity and bloodshed across the country, declaring that Nigeria has gradually lost its sense of value for human life amid recurring killings, kidnappings, and violent attacks.