Daniel Otera
A growing web of internal support for kidnapping gangs has been uncovered in Kogi State, spotlighting a disturbing ecosystem of everyday businesses quietly aiding criminal groups. State authorities say an organised supply chain and spanning bread sellers, sachet water producers, and petrol stations is enabling armed kidnappers to maintain operations in remote forest hideouts across the state’s western region.
Security raids in Kabba/Bunu, Ijumu, Yagba East, and Yagba West have led to the discovery of individuals and businesses allegedly involved in the direct supply of food, water, and fuel to the criminal groups.
According to the Kogi State Government, these revelations emerged following several high-profile abduction cases in the state.
“Evidence points to some bread sellers and sachet water factories supplying food and water directly to kidnappers in forest hideouts,” said Kingsley Fanwo, the state’s Commissioner for Information and Communications.
He revealed that supplies were often moved by motorcycle couriers—an approach that allows criminal gangs to remain undetected in forested terrain for extended periods.
Additionally, some petrol stations have reportedly been implicated in the sale of fuel in jerrycans, which is then delivered to the gangs.
“These supplies are used to power their generators and motorbikes, making it possible for them to remain mobile and elusive,” Mr Fanwo added.
The state’s intensified focus on internal collaborators followed two incidents that stirred public outrage: the kidnapping and eventual death of a retired army officer from Odo-Ape, and the abduction of a renowned farmer in Ponyan, Yagba East Local Government Area. While the farmer was rescued along with several others, the events prompted the government to order sweeping security operations.
One of the key breakthroughs came after the arrest of Babatunde Aledare, a suspected informant linked to the kidnapping network. His alleged confessions helped unravel a broader web of accomplices embedded in local communities.
Attention has also been drawn to the death of Samson Enietan, another suspected informant. While initial reports claimed Mr Enietan committed suicide after his involvement became public, the Kogi State Government has cast doubt on that narrative.
“There are credible reasons to believe he was silenced by fellow conspirators who feared exposure,” said Mr Fanwo, who added that investigations are ongoing, particularly into the circumstances of his death.
Security experts say informants play a critical role in the success of kidnapping syndicates across Nigeria. In rural Kogi, where dense forests and limited police presence make tracking criminals difficult, local collaboration has emerged as the invisible fuel sustaining criminality.
Reports from other parts of the country confirm this pattern. In 2020, the Kogi State Vigilante Task Force arrested two informants along the Lokoja–Okene highway who confessed to supplying intelligence to kidnappers, including the movement of motorists and security patrols.
Motorbike couriers have also become instrumental in sustaining kidnapping operations. According to a report by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), criminal groups frequently use motorcycles to navigate forested terrain both for transporting hostages and delivering supplies to remote camps.
Kogi State has recorded a sharp rise in kidnapping activity, placing it among the top five most affected states in Nigeria, according to the Nigeria Risk Index. At least 24 kidnap incidents and 118 victims were recorded in the past year, many from farming communities in areas such as Yagba East and Kabba/Bunu.
National figures further highlight the scale of the crisis. SBM Intelligence reported that between July 2022 and June 2023, Nigeria witnessed 3,620 abductions in 582 incidents, with ransom demands totalling approximately ₦5 billion—of which ₦302 million was actually paid.
In the following year, between July 2023 and June 2024, the number of victims surged to 7,568 across 1,130 incidents, with ₦10.995 billion in ransom demands. However, only ₦1.048 billion, representing about 9.5%, was paid, according to the latest SBM Intelligence report.
“Many rural communities are ruined by repeated ransom payments or are forced to pay protection money to avoid attacks. In some areas, farmers have now abandoned their farms altogether out of fear,” the group stated in its 2022 analysis.
While official figures specific to Kogi’s agricultural output remain limited, community leaders and local reports confirm that insecurity has driven farmers away from farmlands particularly in areas bordering forest belts where kidnappers operate with relative impunity.
The state government has pledged to clamp down on all individuals or businesses aiding kidnappers.
“Any individual or business caught aiding the operations of kidnappers, whether through sales, logistics, or land provision, will be treated as a direct accomplice and will face the full weight of the law,” Mr Fanwo warned.
“No one, regardless of status or position, will be spared if found guilty of enabling or abetting criminality.”
The government is also promoting a community-driven intelligence model. Traditional rulers and community heads are being encouraged to report suspicious activities and persons in their domains.
Kogi’s situation is far from unique. Across Nigeria, kidnapping has evolved into a multi-billion naira enterprise driven by ransom payments, weak community security structures, and informal supply chains that sustain criminals in forest zones.
According to SBM Intelligence, Nigerians paid over ₦13.7 billion in ransom to kidnappers between July 2021 and June 2023. The think tank tracked incidents involving thousands of victims and noted that ransom payments were made across nearly all regions.
“Kidnapping has become a thriving criminal industry, with communities often left to negotiate directly with armed groups due to limited security presence,” SBM Intelligence stated in a 2023 publication titled ‘Follow the Money: The Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry’.
Experts warn the industry continues to flourish due to well-organised logistical networks. These include local informants, couriers who move money or supplies, and complicit businesses selling fuel and food to gangs in hiding.
“As long as these supply chains remain active, criminal syndicates will continue to operate with relative ease even in states with increased military deployments,” the report observed.