Nigeria is once again confronted with the haunting specter of kidnapping, a crime that has evolved through centuries yet continues to destabilize communities and scar generations. The recent abductions in Ogbomoso, where teachers and pupils were seized and one teacher gruesomely killed, alongside the kidnapping of worshippers in Ekiti, have reignited fears across the South-West. Children fleeing their classrooms in terror is a chilling reminder that insecurity has invaded the very spaces meant to nurture hope and learning.
Kidnapping in Nigeria is not a new phenomenon. In pre-colonial times, it was a weapon of warfare and inter-group rivalry, often tied to slavery or ritual sacrifices. Communities responded with vigilance: hunters patrolled forests, Age Grades enforced discipline, and swift justice was meted out through banishment or execution. During the transatlantic slave trade, raiding intensified as captives were taken to satisfy foreign demand. Colonial authorities outlawed these practices, introducing policing and judicial systems, but the menace never disappeared.
In the early 2000s, the Niger Delta militancy gave kidnapping a political face, with foreign oil workers abducted to demand environmental justice and resource control. Today, the crime has shifted into a ruthless business model. Armed bandits, terrorist groups like Boko Haram, and criminal syndicates now orchestrate mass abductions for ransom, exploiting poverty, corruption, and weak enforcement.
Modern Nigeria has attempted to respond with legislation, technology, and military action. States have enacted capital punishment for kidnapping, SIM registration and tracking systems are used to trace abductors, and specialized military raids target hideouts. Financial monitoring through banking data and BVN systems seeks to choke ransom flows. Yet, despite these measures, kidnappers continue to strike with impunity, exposing the overstretch of the military, police, and civil defense forces.
The South-West’s regional security outfit, Amotekun, was launched with great promise, but its current capacity is being questioned. Citizens argue that it must be properly funded and empowered to coordinate community vigilance, much like the hunters and Age Grades of old. Lessons from history are clear: insecurity was once tackled through communal solidarity, swift justice, and regional collaboration. Those same principles must be revived today. Governors across the South-West, alongside leaders in the South-East and South-South, must pool resources, as the North recently did, to reinforce local defenses.
The trauma of children running from their school in Ogbomoso will linger for life. It is a scar not only on their hearts but on the conscience of the nation. If unchecked, the bandits’ march from Kwara to Ondo, Oyo, and Ekiti may soon reach Lagos, threatening Nigeria’s economic hub.
The message is unmistakable: the government must act, and act fast. Regional security outfits like Amotekun and the Eastern Security Network (ESN) must be revitalized, communities must be empowered, and every Nigerian life must be treated as sacred. History shows that kidnapping has always been a menace — but it also shows that united communities can resist and overcome. The South-West must now summon that same spirit of vigilance and solidarity to confront today’s threat.
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