"The Most Lucrative Industry:" Kidnappings in Nigeria

Kidnapping in Nigeria is not new. The problem has reached epidemic proportions. Observers believe at least three primary motivations contribute to the spate of kidnappings: political motivations, terrorism and ransom. Since 2006, kidnappings have been on the rise in Nigeria. The kidnapping of the Chibok girls in 2014 by Boko Haram, an extremist terrorist group, from a government school in Borno State, north-eastern Nigeria, put an international spotlight on kidnapping in the country. Two hundred seventy-six students were abducted. Most of the students were between the ages of 16 - 18. Fifty-seven of the girls managed to escape from their abductors. In 2018, Boko Haram was responsible for the abduction of 110 girls from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, northeast Nigeria Five schoolgirls died in this incident. Boko Haram eventually released the majority of those kidnapped.

While terrorism prominently figured in the Boko Haram kidnappings, it is clear in more recent abductions other motives are at work. The Kankara boys kidnapping in Katsina State is one example. A motorcycle gang led by Auwalun Daudawa was responsible for kidnapping 340 boys from their residence halls, Some students managed to escape and the remainder were freed after successful negotiations between the Nigerian government and the gang. Dudawa surrendered to police as part of the amnesty deal. He later reneged on his apology and returned to banditry. He was killed in a shootout with a rival gang.

Kidnapping cases and violence continue unabated throughout the country. In June 2021, unidentified gunman riding on motorcycles stormed the Federal Government Girls College in Birinin Yauri in Kebbi State. They abducted an unspecified number of students, five teachers and killed a police officer. In February 2021, two kidnappings occurred. The first kidnapping occurred in Kagara, Niger State, west-central Nigeria. Twenty-seven students were kidnapped by men wearing fatigues. One student was killed in the attack. The second kidnapping occurred in Zamfara, 315 female students between the ages of 10 and 17 were abducted by armed kidnappers. The girls were taken from the Government Girls Secondary School in the town of Jangbe, Zamfara State, northwest Nigeria. The Nigerian government was able to secure the release of the girls in March 2021. The same month, an abduction took place in Afaka, in Kaduna State, northwestern Nigeria, where 39 students, 23 females and 16 males were kidnapped. The students were taken after gunmen attacked the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization at night. Only five of the students have been released.

All of these kidnappings raise troubling questions about the state of Nigeria society. Since late 2020, kidnappers have abducted about 600 students from schools. Schools appear to be one of the main targets. Motorcycle gangs, bandits and insurgents are using kidnapping to achieve their goals. It has led to an increase in crime and lawlessness in the country, enormous payouts in ransom, and a get rich scheme for the less fortunate. Observers have referred to kidnaping as Nigeria’s “most lucrative industry.” It is estimated that between June 2011 and March 2020, more than 18.34 million has been paid out in ransoms. Kidnapping has effectively spread across the country impacting all 36 states and the capital, Abuja. Unlike the politically motivated kidnappings of the early 21st century, which targeted wealthy elites or stemmed involved the achievement of religious objectives, the current wave impacts every sector of Nigerian society. If this situation does not change, it will continue to erode confidence in the government’s ability to provide adequate protection for its citizens.