The former Anambra State governor described the incident as a serious national emergency and condemned the attack on people in a place of worship.
“This is one case too many,” Obi said, urging the Federal Government to deploy intelligence-led security operations to rescue those in captivity and secure the affected communities.
He also called for the dismantling of criminal networks and enclaves allegedly responsible for the attacks.
Obi expressed concern that difficult terrain and a collapsed bridge had reportedly hampered security operations, renewing his call for investment in critical infrastructure, particularly in vulnerable rural communities.
He urged the government to prioritise the protection of lives, saying political activities ahead of the 2027 elections should not overshadow the security challenges facing Nigerians.
“Elections will come and go, but the lives of Nigerians cannot be recovered once lost,” he said.
Obi sympathised with the Niger State Government, affected communities and families of those reportedly killed or abducted, urging authorities to bring the victims home safely and restore public confidence in the government’s ability to protect citizens.
The former Anambra State governor described the incident as a serious national emergency and condemned the attack on people in a place of worship.
“This is one case too many,” Obi said, urging the Federal Government to deploy intelligence-led security operations to rescue those in captivity and secure the affected communities.
He also called for the dismantling of criminal networks and enclaves allegedly responsible for the attacks.
Obi expressed concern that difficult terrain and a collapsed bridge had reportedly hampered security operations, renewing his call for investment in critical infrastructure, particularly in vulnerable rural communities.
He urged the government to prioritise the protection of lives, saying political activities ahead of the 2027 elections should not overshadow the security challenges facing Nigerians.
“Elections will come and go, but the lives of Nigerians cannot be recovered once lost,” he said.
Obi sympathised with the Niger State Government, affected communities and families of those reportedly killed or abducted, urging authorities to bring the victims home safely and restore public confidence in the government’s ability to protect citizens.
A new report has revealed the scale of Nigeria’s kidnapping crisis, with 7,825 people abducted and at least ₦7.78 billion paid in ransom over a one-year period.
• JAS collects N7b ransom from eight abduction incidents
• North records 93.7% of victims, Zamfara worst hit
• Ransom payment no guarantee of survival, SBM warns
• ICRC records over 17,000 missing persons nationwide
• Kwara monarch, others rescued as security forces neutralise suspect
• Obi seeks urgent rescue of Niger captives, says 600 may be missing
No fewer than 7,825 Nigerians were kidnapped in 1,713 kidnap and kidnap-related incidents between July 2025 and June 2026, according to a report by SBM Intelligence.
The Africa-focused market intelligence, security analysis and strategic consulting firm said at least 1,142 people were killed during the period, while the number of kidnapping victims increased by 66 per cent from the previous cycle.
SBM Intelligence disclosed this in its report titled The Economics of Nigeria’s Kidnap Industry, 2026, released yesterday.
It said while the total ransom demanded fell from N48 billion to N22.9 billion, the amount actually paid more than tripled from N2.56 billion to N7.78 billion.
According to the report, the collection rate consequently increased from 5.35 per cent to 34 per cent.
It attributed the increase largely to ransom payments made in two major mass abductions, saying the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati Wal-Jihad (JAS) faction of Boko Haram collected 90 per cent of all ransom paid from just eight incidents.
The report said two abductions accounted for N7 billion of the N7.78 billion ransom paid during the period.
They included the N5 billion ransom paid for 416 captives abducted from Ngoshe, Borno State, and N2 billion paid for 315 pupils and staff abducted from St Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State.
SBM said the geographical pattern of kidnapping remained largely unchanged, with the Northwest recording the highest number of incidents, victims and deaths.
Zamfara State recorded 236 kidnapping incidents involving 1,921 victims, representing nearly a quarter of the national total.
The report said the North accounted for 93.7 per cent of all abducted persons, while the South accounted for 6.3 per cent.
It added that mass abductions had become the dominant pattern, with four in five victims taken in group seizures.
“Zamfara alone recorded 92 mass abductions, followed by Sokoto with 76. School abductions have resurged, with the Papiri attack reviving a tactic whose costs ripple through education, farming and public trust,” it said.
SBM also warned that ransom payment did not guarantee the survival of victims, noting that at least six people were killed after ransom had been paid.
It said ransom-bearers were increasingly being abducted, while kidnappers demanded goods, motorcycles, phones, food and fuel in 14 incidents.
The report said the demands showed that kidnapping networks were adapting their operations to the limited cash resources of victims.
According to SBM, bandits and criminal gangs in the everyday kidnap economy demanded N13.5 billion but collected only N719 million, representing a 5.3 per cent collection rate.
By contrast, JAS demanded N9.2 billion and collected N7 billion, representing a 76 per cent collection rate.
The organisation said the figures showed that although kidnapping was widespread among criminal gangs, the ransom actually paid was heavily concentrated in the hands of JAS.
SBM said tackling the kidnapping crisis required disrupting the financial flows that sustain insurgency while addressing the economic desperation that supplies foot soldiers to criminal groups.
“Without a coordinated strategy that targets both the profitability of the crime and its roots, Nigeria risks entrenching kidnapping not merely as a criminal industry but as a funding mechanism for the very groups that most threaten its stability,” it said.
ICRC: Over 1,500 people missing in Yobe
THIS came as families of about 1,500 people reported missing in Yobe State urged government agencies and humanitarian organisations to intensify efforts to trace their loved ones and establish their whereabouts.
The call was made yesterday in Damaturu during activities marking the 2026 International Day of the Disappeared.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) disclosed yesterday that more than 1,500 people were registered as missing in Yobe, out of over 17,000 cases being tracked across Nigeria.
Head of the ICRC Sub-Delegation in Yobe State, Sayd Rashid Hassan, said the figure could represent only a fraction of the actual number of missing persons in the country.
He said more than 50 per cent of those registered as missing in the state were children when they disappeared from their communities.
Hassan said the ICRC was working to prevent family separation, reunite families, establish the fate and whereabouts of missing persons, and protect the dignity of deceased persons.
He called for stronger systems to document and identify unidentified bodies, adding that more than 50 families in Damaturu had received support through the ICRC’s Accompaniment Programme.
Speaking on behalf of affected families, Chairman of Families of the Missing Persons, Malam Ali Idriss, urged government institutions and other stakeholders to make information and assistance more accessible to families.
Idriss said the impact of disappearances extended beyond uncertainty over the whereabouts of loved ones, as families also faced emotional distress, economic difficulties and challenges obtaining legal and administrative documents.
“Every missing person is a father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, husband, wife, friend or loved one. Every missing person matters,” he said.
He called for coordinated support for affected families and stronger measures to prevent disappearances.
Police rescue kidnapped Kwara monarch, two others
MEANWHILE, the Kwara State Police Command has rescued the traditional ruler of Igbesi, Oba Moses Oyinloye Omotayo, and two other victims abducted by suspected kidnappers last week.
The victims were rescued during a coordinated operation involving the police, military and local vigilantes in the Elerin/Ijomu-Oro axis of the state.
The command said the operation followed information received at about 10:00 a.m. at the Oro Police Station that a vigilante member had sustained a gunshot wound to the hand while operating in the bush around Elerin/Ijomu-Oro.
Acting on the information, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Oro Police Station mobilised a joint team of police officers, military personnel and vigilantes to the area to investigate the incident and pursue the suspected kidnappers.
According to the police, the security team came under fire after encountering the suspected kidnappers. The operatives responded, leading to a gun battle in which one suspect was neutralised.
The confrontation forced other members of the gang to flee into the surrounding terrain, prompting the security operatives to launch a sustained pursuit.
The operation subsequently led to the discovery and rescue of Oba Omotayo and two other victims identified by the police as Maryam Abubakar and Aisha Ilyasu.
The three victims were evacuated and taken to hospital for medical attention. The command said they were safe and receiving the necessary care.
The Commissioner of Police in Kwara State, Ojo Adekimi, commended the security personnel involved in the operation for their courage, professionalism and determination.
Adekimi directed that efforts be intensified to locate and apprehend the fleeing members of the gang, assuring residents that security operations would continue in areas identified as potential kidnapping flashpoints.
He said the police and other security agencies would continue to prevent kidnappers and other violent criminals from establishing safe havens in the state.
The commissioner urged residents to provide credible and timely information that could assist security agencies in preventing attacks and apprehending criminal suspects.
Obi urges govt to rescue residents abducted in Niger
ALSO, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on the Federal Government to urgently rescue residents reportedly abducted during attacks on communities in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State.
Obi said reports indicated that worshippers were abducted during Juma’at prayers in communities including Dekara, while other residents were also taken captive.
He said the number of victims was still being verified, although reports suggested that as many as 600 people, mostly women, children and elderly persons, may have been abducted. He added that about 30 people were reportedly killed.
The former Anambra State governor described the incident as a serious national emergency and condemned the attack on people in a place of worship.
“This is one case too many,” Obi said, urging the Federal Government to deploy intelligence-led security operations to rescue those in captivity and secure the affected communities.
He also called for the dismantling of criminal networks and enclaves allegedly responsible for the attacks.
Obi expressed concern that difficult terrain and a collapsed bridge had reportedly hampered security operations, renewing his call for investment in critical infrastructure, particularly in vulnerable rural communities.
He urged the government to prioritise the protection of lives, saying political activities ahead of the 2027 elections should not overshadow the security challenges facing Nigerians.
“Elections will come and go, but the lives of Nigerians cannot be recovered once lost,” he said.
Obi sympathised with the Niger State Government, affected communities and families of those reportedly killed or abducted, urging authorities to bring the victims home safely and restore public confidence in the government’s ability to protect citizens.
