Tag: KIDNAPPINGS

US condemns kidnappings in Nigeria

Aminu Imam

…Pledges support to rescue abductees The United States Mission in Nigeria has condemned the abduction of scores of school children and women in Kaduna State. The US Mission in Nigeria, via its official X page yesterday, also condemned the displaced persons abducted in Borno State, whereby suspected Boko Haram terrorists had kidnapped over 100 internally-displaced persons (IDPs). The US Mission also urged the Nigerian government to arrest the perpetrators and make sure they face the consequences. The United States government however pledged its support to Nigeria’s effort to secure release…

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Pope expresses concern over rising cases of kidnappings in Nigeria

Aminu Imam

Head of the Catholic church, Pope Francis, on Sunday, expressed concern over the rising kidnappings in Nigeria, noting that the development as “extremely concerning”. The Pontiff, who expressed the concern in a statement via his X account, prayed that efforts by the Nigerian authorities to contain the menace yield fruit “as much as possible.” According to the Pontiff, “The increasingly frequent kidnappings in Nigeria are extremely concerning. I express my closeness in prayer to the Nigerian people, hoping that efforts will be made to contain the spread of these incidents…

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“Kidnappers, ‘one chance’ criminals on rampage again in Lagos”, Commuters raise alarm

Aminu Imam

Commuters have raised an alarm over the increasing rate of kidnapping and the activities of ‘one chance’ criminals across Nigeria’s commercial capital city of Lagos. ‘One Chance’ is the colloquial expression for a type of robbery staged by criminals using commercial vehicles with colluding passengers and bus conductors, whereby the conductor convinces unsuspecting passenger and potential victims that only one space is left on the bus. The passenger is then taken away from where they got in the vehicle, robbed, and pushed out of the vehicle without stopping. According to…

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FCT Rising Insecurity: IGP launches Special Intervention Squad to tackle kidnapping

Aminu Imam

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has launched a Special Intervention Squad (SIS), to tackle the activities of kidnappers terrorising the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the nation at large. The SIS launched is for special operations deployed to all the area councils in the FCT and simultaneously launched in some states across the country. Recall that kidnappers had recently taken over Abuja villages, where they have been wreaking havoc in places like Bwari, Dei-Dei, Dutse, and Mpape, among other villages in the FCT. The IGP said the team…

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“Why kidnapping has replaced armed robbery in Nigeria” – NSA

Aminu Imam

National Security Adviser, (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, says kidnapping has replaced armed robbery in Nigeria today because people no longer carry cash about. The NSA, who was addressing participants Thursday at Day-2 of the All-Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC), 2023 in Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State capital, said the trajectory of the nation’s insecurity was allowing Boko Haram, Banditry, Niger Delta and South-East unrest to fester too long. He said, “These are four massive security problems and each is capable of bringing us to our knees. If you have not noticed, kidnapping has replaced armed…

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“Proceeds of kidnapping being used to finance terrorism” – ONSA

Aminu Imam

Coordinator of the National Counter-Terrorism Centre in the Office of the National Security Adviser (NCTC-ONSA), Yaminu Musa, has said the proceeds of kidnapping are being used to partly finance terrorism. Musa disclosed this yesterday in Abuja, during the ‘anti-kidnap multi-agency fusion cell media and communication workshop’, organised by ONSA, in collaboration with the British High Commission. He said, “Kidnapping for ransom is also identified as one of the means of funding terrorism.Thus, carnage unleashed by kidnappers in affiliation with terrorist groups all over the world leading to loss and disruption…

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Kidnappings: Over 11, 000 schools shut down in North since 2020 – UNICEF

Aminu Imam

A total of 11, 536 schools have been closed since December 2020 due to abductions and security issues in the North. A total of 11, 536 schools have been closed since December 2020 due to abductions and security issues in Northern Nigeria, the United Nations Children Fund, (UNICEF), has disclosed. In an issued statement yesterday to mark the 8th anniversary of the abduction of 276 students at Government Girls’ Secondary School Chibok, the UN agency said the school closures have impacted the education of approximately 1.3 million children in the…

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Breaking; Tegina abducted Islamiya students released after 88 days

Abdul-Azeez Ahmed Kadir

The abducted students of Salihu Tanko Islamic School, Tegina in Niger State have been released. Chief of Staff to Rafi Local Government Chairman, Muhammed Muhammed confirmed the release of the students without giving much details. The students were abducted within the school premises in Rafi council of Niger State and spent 88 days in captivity despite millions paid in ransom to their abductors. More details later…

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