Nigeria Records 2.2 Million Kidnappings in One Year, Scholar Warns
Nigeria is contending with extraordinary levels of insecurity, with approximately 2.2 million kidnapping incidents recorded within a single year and ransom payments estimated at N2.2 trillion, a security expert, Prof. Oyesoji Aremu, has said.
Aremu, a security scholar at the University of Ibadan and Acting Vice Chancellor of Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State, made the disclosure while delivering a public lecture organised by the Social Sciences Students’ Association (SOSSA) of Adekunle Ajasin University, Ondo State. The lecture examined Nigeria’s standing on global security indexes and the escalating human and economic toll of insecurity nationwide.
Citing data attributed to the National Bureau of Statistics and reported in December 2024, Aremu said the figures point to the emergence of a well organised “ransom economy” propelled by banditry, kidnapping syndicates and insurgent networks operating across the country.
He warned that the magnitude of kidnappings and ransom payouts has transformed insecurity into a structured criminal enterprise, with devastating consequences for families, communities and the broader national economy.
The scholar also referenced Nigeria’s poor showing on global security benchmarks, noting that the country currently ranks 142 out of 143 on the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, 148 out of 163 on the Global Peace Index, and 5th globally on the Global Terrorism Index.
According to him, these indicators confirm a sustained deterioration in safety and governance, with severe implications for development outcomes and investor confidence.
Tracing the roots of the crisis, Aremu pointed to historical flashpoints including the Nigerian Civil War, the Maitatsine riots, Niger Delta militancy, and the rise of Boko Haram, which he said escalated after early warning signs were ignored.
He further explained that the fragmentation of extremist groups, including the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) and other splinter cells, alongside the expansion of banditry and illegal mining operations, has compounded the difficulty of mounting effective national security responses.
Aremu expressed concern over the exploitation of vast ungoverned forests such as Sambisa, Alagarno, Kamuku, Kuyambana, Kuduru and Old Oyo National Park as safe havens for criminal groups, describing them as evidence of weak state presence in remote areas.
He stressed that recurring attacks on schools, including Chibok, Dapchi, Kagara, Greenfield and recent incidents in parts of Oyo State, underscore persistent failures in intelligence coordination and preventive security measures.
The scholar described Nigeria’s fragmented security response as a “blame game” weakened by institutional rivalry and poor collaboration. He recommended the introduction of state policing, stronger community intelligence systems, enhanced inter agency cooperation, coordinated surveillance among neighbouring states, and the deployment of forest guards to secure ungoverned spaces.
The Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Prof. Olugbenga Ige, represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Adebisi Daramola, described the lecture as timely and relevant to Nigeria’s current security realities.
The Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, Prof. Adesuyi Adebukola, called for sustained collaboration among stakeholders, stressing that insecurity remains a major obstacle to national development.