Kidnapping in Nigeria has metastasized into a national emergency. What began as isolated ransom crimes has evolved into a brutal economy of fear, sustained by banditry, insurgency, and impunity. In 2025, the crisis reached new heights, with thousands of lives disrupted and hundreds lost.
This timeline chronicles the most harrowing incidents of the year, revealing the scale, brutality, and urgency of Nigeria’s kidnapping plague.
🔥 Q1 2025: A Violent Surge
Between January and March, 537 people were kidnapped and 1,420 killed across Nigeria. The North West and North Central zones bore the brunt, with rural communities and highways becoming hunting grounds for armed groups.
🗓️ February
- Kebbi–Sokoto Highway Ambush: Armed men attacked a commercial bus, killing two and abducting 13 passengers. Survivors described being dragged into the forest, some barefoot and bleeding.
- Zamfara Village Raid: Eight villagers were killed in Rijiya, Gusau LGA, while others were abducted in a nighttime assault.
💀 April 2025: The Deadliest Month
April shattered records with 590 killings and 278 kidnappings, making it the bloodiest month of the year.
🗓️ April 2
- Plateau Massacre: Armed men stormed Bokkos LGA, killing 52 people and abducting dozens. Homes were torched, and entire families vanished overnight.
- Ondo Family Tragedy: A commercial driver was abducted, his son killed, and his wife injured. The attackers left a ransom note demanding payment within 48 hours.
- Sokoto Farmer Killings: Eleven farmers were executed in Lugu town, Isa LGA, in a coordinated terrorist strike.
🗓️ April 3
- Benue Bus Ambush: In Ikobi village, Otukpo LGA, 13 passengers were kidnapped and two killed during a market-bound journey.
- Ebonyi Abduction: A woman named Blessing Adagba was kidnapped in broad daylight, sparking protests over police inaction.
🧨 May–August: Expanding Targets
Kidnappers shifted focus to schools, religious leaders, and health workers, with ransom demands reaching tens of millions of naira.
🗓️ July
- Enugu Priest Abduction: A Catholic priest was kidnapped after evening mass. His captors demanded ₦50 million. He was released after 12 days, but his driver remains missing.
🗓️ August
- Kaduna School Raid: Armed men on motorcycles abducted schoolchildren during morning assembly. The school lacked fencing, and security was absent. Parents protested for weeks.
🧭 Conclusion: A Nation Held Hostage
Kidnapping in Nigeria is no longer a symptom—it is the disease. The perpetrators range from opportunistic criminals to organized militias, thriving in a climate of weak policing and political inertia. Communities mourn while justice remains elusive.
What must change?
- Intelligence-led policing
- Community-based security networks
- Swift prosecution of offenders
- Victim support and trauma care
Until then, Nigeria’s roads, schools, and homes remain vulnerable—and the silence of the abducted will echo across the land.
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