Nigeria is reeling from a surge of mass abductions that have swept the country in recent days, prompting President Bola Tinubu to declare a “nationwide security emergency” and launch sweeping measures to restore order.
The chilling wave of kidnappings—targeting schoolchildren, worshippers, and villagers—has seen hundreds seized in just one week. In a statement Wednesday, President Tinubu addressed the nation: “This is a national emergency, and we are responding by deploying more boots on the ground, especially in security-challenged areas.”
Among the most shocking incidents, 265 students and teachers taken from a Catholic boarding school in Niger State remain missing, even as dozens of other hostages have been rescued or managed to escape. The president has ordered a massive recruitment drive for the armed forces and the redeployment of thousands of police previously assigned to VIP protection, aiming to bolster frontline security with an additional 50,000 recruits.
The crisis underscores Nigeria’s ongoing struggle with insecurity. Beyond the 16-year jihadist insurgency in the northeast, the country faces relentless attacks from criminal gangs in the northwest and central states, where kidnappings for ransom have become a grim business model. Vast forests spanning Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi, and Niger States serve as hideouts for these heavily armed groups.
“Flush out the terrorists and bandits lurking in our forests,” Tinubu ordered, authorizing the immediate deployment of intelligence and forest guard units to reclaim these lawless regions.
The numbers are staggering: Between July 2024 and June 2025, at least 4,722 people were kidnapped in nearly 1,000 incidents, with ransom demands totaling 48 billion naira, according to a report by SBM Intelligence. Yet, only a fraction—about 2.57 billion naira—was paid out, highlighting both the scale and desperation of the crisis.
This latest rash of mass abductions has revived memories of the 2014 Chibok kidnappings, which drew worldwide outrage and attention to Nigeria’s security challenges. Since then, thousands more have been kidnapped, many cases going unreported.
President Tinubu’s emergency measures include the redeployment of police, the hiring of forest guards, and calls for heightened security at mosques and churches—particularly in high-risk areas. “The times require all hands on deck,” he declared, vowing to intensify rescue efforts and urging religious communities to take extra precautions.
As Nigeria grapples with the evolving kidnap-for-ransom industry, Tinubu’s declaration marks a critical turning point—and a plea for unity in the face of one of the country’s gravest security threats in years.
