Kidnapping for Power and Wealth in Nigeria

by Vincent Ojwang | May 12, 2025 | Africa, JPIC Grassroots News

The truth about the cause of the incessant killings in most parts of Nigeria remains totally unknown. After the civil war of 1967 which led to the demise of more than three (3) million lives and the displacement of many, Nigeria as a country continued to suffer pockets of unrest in parts of her territory but not in the frequency and organized nature as we have it today. It is so bad that even the local media outlets are compelled to report inaccurate news so as not to raise the tension in the country. Journalists who dig and report beyond the area of their permitted coverage either disappear after some time or remain in perpetual hiding for the rest of their lives. Also, as critical as the issue is, you hardly find it on the Western Media despite the heavy presence of BBC, Aljazeera and CNN in Nigeria. This simply suggests either a conspiracy with the local and international perpetrators or that there are unknown sponsors behind these killings whose faces must remain masked.

As a country, Nigeria is extravagantly blessed with abundance in diverse minerals discovered and undiscovered and also human resources. Her lack of technological advancement has made her a scavenged theatre for the technologically advanced power players scouting for resources and dominance. Since the last twenty years, we have seen a  steady growth of violence against innocent citizens across boards. It is untrue to assume that the victims of these attacks are merely Christians although the Christians remain the major targets of these attacks perpetuated by terrorist groups under different guises. Basically every part of Nigeria has a proscribed group operating there.

In most of the Northern states of Nigeria, Boko Haram, the Islamic State of West Africa and her subsidiaries collude with the local and state governments to carry out organized attacks against unsuspecting citizens in the name of expanding Islamic agenda in the country. In the South-South region we find the Niger Delta Militant, a group fighting the government and international criminals stealing the oil and destroying the land making survival difficult for the locals. IPOB is the name of the proscribed group operating in the South Eastern part of the country. Their mantra is the complete emancipation and secession of the Ibo race from Nigeria. Under this guise, they carry out terrible attacks on peace loving and innocent citizens. There are other dangerous miniature autochthonous groups scattered across the nation. The presence of these groups and their activities has overwhelmed the security architecture of Nigeria. Hence, the government’s use of the security machineries and agencies has failed. Although our security agencies are highly trained, yet in the face of this ignominious destruction of the lives of Nigerians, they appear incompetent.

Kidnapping is not a new concept. It is defined as the abduction of a person by illegal force, being carried off through deception and holding them against their will, with a demand for ransom, (Uzorma & Nwanegbo-Ben 2014). The reason behind kidnapping has been attributed to political, economic, religious and sometimes the desire to showcase superiority or supremacy. Regardless of the motive, it exposes the families of the victims to absurd sufferings and psychological devastation. Currently, there is also kidnapping for human organ harvesting and this is rapidly spreading fast. It has become a multi-billion dollars industry waiting to explode. In most cases, ransoms are paid yet the victims never return to their families. Many a time, the activities of these kidnappers occur in rural and remote places where there is little or no military presence. They target even children and pregnant women. No one is exempt.

The Claretians working in different parts of Nigeria have had a fair share of the experience. No fewer than five (5) of our brothers have fallen victim to this menace in the past however, we have been fortunate not to have lost any. Many a Priests, Sisters and Seminarians have lost their lives in recent past. Owing to the fact that we work in the peripheries, our brothers are the most vulnerable. Fr. Jude Igba CMF and Fr. Louis Ajinge CMF., for instance, work at Uzea in Uromi Diocese of Edo State. The place is known for kidnapping activities yet the brothers must stay to look after the flocks entrusted to their care as pastors of that very mission. In recent times, Kabba in Lokoja diocese where Claret Secondary School is located is also susceptible to Fulani attacks and bandit invasion. The brothers living and working there are always on high alert. 

Recently, Bishop Wilfred Anegbe CMF., the Bishop of Markurdi diocese appeared before the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa to expose an agenda aimed at wiping out the Christian majority in his diocese. This agenda has been in motion for over 10 years now and the government at the Federal level has done little to address this humanitarian crisis that also impacts on the economic life of the nation at large. La vida del obispo Wilfred ha sido amenazada en múltiples ocasiones porque se atrevió a alzar la voz ante una agenda expansionista islámica muy intensa y sofisticada que incluye secuestros y destrucción gratuita de vidas y propiedades de nigerianos inocentes y pacíficos. After the kidnapping of the Chibok girls which the United States’ Obama’s administration and the British Prime Minister, David Cameron orchestrated, little is heard about kidnapping activities in Nigeria on the internationally recognized media stations such as the BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera. Obviously, the rejection of the abortion and gay rights by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan provoked an international conspiracy against our nascent democracy and till date, innocent lives are paying for what they know nothing about.

Kidnapping in Nigeria is now a weapon of modern enslavement. The bandits who carry out these activities are heavily paid and they use latest modern and sophisticated weapons which are beyond what the Nigerian military can afford to use. Obviously, there is an international conspiracy to keep Nigeria abysmally grounded while greedy actors reap the nation of her natural endowments. To effectively succeed in this plot, they collude with local corrupt and selfish top politicians and government officials. The life of anyone who questions their activities is in danger. Their families are targeted and when possible, they are killed. We gathered from reliable sources that these bandits are heavily paid in dollars not naira which is the local currency of Nigeria. They are paid to kidnap, maim and cause instability while enjoying immunity from the corrupt government and security agencies. Helicopters are deployed to convey food, weapon and provisions to cushion the effects of hardship on these miscreants in the forests where they hide while law abiding citizens die of starvation and economic strangulation.

No one understands the state of the nation more than the common man whose next meal is not guaranteed. These are the people we work with in the peripheries of our missions. Kidnapping activities have upturned a country that was well known for hard work, greatness and unparalled growth in every sector of her national and economic life. A source who pleaded anonymity revealed that bandit and criminal groups now merge and collaborate to carry out massive kidnapping attacks and bring their victims to hidden places where ransoms are demanded from the relatives of these victims using their own cell phones. When the relatives fail to make payment within specific time frames, the victims are killed and their organs harvested. This commercialization is a new cancer with no remedy at the moment. In the heat of all these tensions, a former Chief of Army Staff of Nigeria, T.Y Danjuma, called on Nigerians to rise and defend themselves from aggressors as the government has failed in providing security for her citizens. This is the state of things at the moment. 

It is nice to know that people are doing everything possible to stay alive. The continuous failure of the government to secure the lives and properties of her citizens is no longer alien to Nigerians. Small vigilanty groups keep emerging but how sustainable is this courage they exhibit. They lack the sophistication, training and weapons to defend themselves but they have courage and hope. They are the real heroes in the war against kidnapping and banditry. 

Reference:

Uzorma, P.N., & Nwanegbo-Ben, J. (2014). Challenges of hostage-taking and kidnapping in the south eastern Nigeria.

Written by Kenneth Ugochukwu, CMF.