Nigeria’s Kidnapping Crisis Unleashed: Opposition Accuses FG Of Inaction, APC Casts Doubts On Figures

Nigeria’s Kidnapping Crisis Unleashed: Opposition Accuses FG Of Inaction, APC Casts Doubts On Figures

Major opposition parties in Nigeria have heavily criticized the Federal Government and security agencies over the ongoing kidnapping crisis, accusing them of failing to curb the….Nigeria’s Kidnapping Crisis Unleashed: Opposition Accuses FG Of Inaction, APC Casts Doubts On Figures

alarming trend.

The backlash follows the release of shocking statistics by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on December 17, revealing that Nigerians paid a staggering N2.23 trillion in ransom to kidnappers between May 2023 and April 2024. The report also highlighted that 2.2 million Nigerians were abducted during this period, with 614,937 victims losing their lives.

In a response to the report, Labour Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, condemned the growing wave of abductions, calling it a dangerous business that has taken root across Nigeria. Speaking with Saturday ireporteronline, Ifoh emphasized that the data starkly demonstrates how insecurity has affected every Nigerian household.

“According to the NBS report, in a population of 230 million, at least one in every hundred people has been kidnapped. This is a horrific reality—every Nigerian, even in remote villages, is at risk,” Ifoh said. He also expressed concern about the increasing number of unverified reports of captured or killed criminals released by military authorities, questioning their effectiveness.

Similarly, Ladipo Johnson, the National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party, echoed these concerns, describing the report as a sobering reminder of the widespread violence gripping the country. “The escalating kidnappings and killings are a wake-up call to this government,” Johnson stated. “We need more action, especially in intelligence gathering and prioritizing the safety of citizens.”

National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, however, defended the government’s efforts, claiming that security agencies have achieved an 80% success rate in fighting kidnappings over the past two years.

Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) rejected the NBS report, with the party’s National Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim, arguing that it was unfair to focus solely on ransom payments without accounting for the amounts recovered from captured kidnappers. He questioned the lack of transparency in the NBS report and called for a more balanced portrayal of security efforts.

As the debate intensifies, Nigerians continue to grapple with the relentless threat of kidnapping, calling on both the government and security agencies to do more in protecting the nation’s citizens.

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