Last week, 20 medical students from the Universities of Maiduguri and Jos were kidnapped in Otukpo, Benue State. The students, who were on their way to Enugu State for a conference, have now been freed, and the government has said that no ransom was paid.
This is the latest in a series of mass kidnappings carried out by President Bola Tinubu.
The first notable example of mass kidnapping in the country occurred in 2014 with the kidnapping of the Chibok girls, followed by the Dapchi girls.
Mass Kidnapping for ransom has increased significantly in recent years across the country, notably in the North-West.
Mass abductions became commonplace under previous President Muhammadu Buhari, notably in schools.
Mr Tinubu, who was sworn in in 2023, vowed to put a stop to “terrorism and general insecurity” in the country.
However, reports indicate that banditry and abduction for ransom have continued to thrive.
In November of last year, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, ordered security officials to halt the flow of instability and established the Anti-Kidnap Multi-Agency Fusion Cell.
This article examines some of the largest mass abductions in recent months, exposing the government’s inadequacy to combat the threat of mass kidnapping.
287 Students of Kuriga
On March 7, 2024, a criminal gang kidnapped 287 pupils at a government secondary school in Kuriga, a town in Kaduna State.
Suspected bandits stormed the school and abducted the students. The abductors then demanded a ransom of N1 billion before releasing the pupils.
While the government openly claimed zero tolerance towards ransom payment, concerns remain as to how the government secured the release of the children after two weeks.
24 Students of the University of Gusau
In September 2023, bandits stormed the Federal University of Gusau and abducted 24 students and staff from the school.
The students spent over seven months in captivity before they were released by their captors.
It is unclear whether the government paid a ransom for the release of the victims.
61 People in Kajuru
Days after the Kuriga abduction, gunmen stormed Kajuru, abducting 87 persons.
The attack on Kajuru and the abduction bore some resemblance to the attack on Kuriga, which experts believe was a move by bandits to further consolidate their hold on Kaduna State.
The bandits later released some of the captives; however, it is unclear whether any ransom was paid.
17 Abducted in Gidan Bakuso
On March 9, 2024, gunmen abducted 15 children from an Islamic school in Sokoto.
Additionally, an armed group broke into the dormitory of a boarding school in Gidan Bakuso, Sokoto State, kidnapping 17 students.
Five Students, Three Teachers Abducted in Ekiti
In January 2024, gunmen abducted five students, three teachers, and a driver from Apostolic Faith School in Ekiti State.
They were returning from Eporo-Ekiti. They spent six days in captivity before being released. The police later arrested some suspects believed to have masterminded the abduction.
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cc: Daily Post Ng
