Last week, 20 medical students from the University of Maiduguri and the University of Jos were abducted in Otukpo, Benue State. The students, who were on their way to Enugu State for a conference, have since been rescued, with the government accounting that no ransom was paid.
This is the latest of such mass abductions under President Bola Tinubu.
The first major case of mass abduction in the country was the kidnapping of the Chibok girls in 2014, followed by the Dapchi girls.
In the past couple of years, there has been a surge in kidnapping for ransom across the country, particularly in the North-West.
Under former President Muhammadu Buhari, mass abductions thrived, particularly in schools.
Mr Tinubu, who was sworn in in 2023, had promised to end “terrorism and general insecurity” in the country.
However, DAILY POST reports that banditry and kidnapping for ransom have continued to thrive.
In November last year, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, urged security heads to stem the tide of insecurity and launched the Anti-Kidnap Multi-Agency Fusion Cell.
In this report, DAILY POST reviews some of the major mass abductions in the last few months, highlighting the government’s inability to curb the menace of mass abduction.
287 Pupils 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 pupils, 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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