Nigeria is facing a resurgence of mass abductions, with two incidents occurring in one week. The first occurred in Borno state, where suspected militant Islamists seized women and children from a displaced persons camp searching for firewood. The second incident occurred in Kaduna, where over 280 children and some teachers were taken away by gunmen from a school hundreds miles away. The attacks are believed to be carried out by militants from the al-Qaeda-linked Ansaru group.
The resurgence of kidnapping in Nigeria is a reminder that the threat has not gone away, as the incident happened just days before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Those who have been kidnapped and freed in the past have talked about being forced to do cooking and other menial jobs in the forest camps. Kidnap-for-ransom in Nigeria is a low-risk, high-reward business, with those abducted usually freed after money is handed over, and the perpetrators are rarely arrested.
Over 4,700 people have been kidnapped since President Bola Tinubu came into power last May, according to risk consultants SBM Intelligence. Campaigners have called on authorities to do more to end the insecurity. Kidnapping has become a lucrative venture for people driven by economic desperation to raise funds. Gangs have demanded foodstuffs, motorcycles, and even petrol in exchange for the release of hostages.
Nigeria's poor economy creates the conditions for kidnapping, as the government has not been able to fix its foreign exchange problem. Food prices have skyrocketed, especially over the past six months, and the perception of corruption continues. The shrinking Lake Chad basin and the spreading of the Sahara Desert southward have led to the disappearance of arable farmland and a scarcity of water.
The gangs are aided by the porous and insecure borders of Nigeria, as well as Islamist violence in the wider region. The vast forest reserves in the border regions have been turned into operational bases for criminals.
Nigeria needs to work with its neighbours, particularly Niger, Cameroon, Chad, and the north-western part of Nigeria's border, to work together and bring perpetrators to justice. However, this alone will not help Nigeria defeat the gangs, as more people will join and impunity will increase.
