TIMELINE: 195 Nigerians Kidnapped in January Amid Rising Fear and Outrage
The incidents, which occurred in different parts of the country, have left many families shattered and raised concerns about the safety and security of citizens.
At least 195 Nigerians were kidnapped in various tragic incidents across the country in January, according to HumAngle Tracker. The incidents, which occurred in different parts of the country, have left many families shattered and raised concerns about the safety and security of citizens.
HumAngle Tracker provides data-driven insights into key issues in Nigeria, including conflict and security trends, humanitarian crises, and governance and accountability. The rising wave of kidnappings has sparked widespread fear and outrage, with many calling on the government to take decisive action to address the crisis.
The figures for the kidnap cases were compiled from media reports.
Timeline
Jan. 7: Two Catholic reverend sisters, Vincentia Maria Nwankwo and Grace Mariette Okoli, were kidnapped along Ufuma road in Orumba, Anambra State, southeastern Nigeria.
Jan. 8: A Sokoto State Community Guard Corps operative reportedly lost his life due to an accidental discharge shortly after participating in a joint operation that rescued 66 kidnap victims in the state. The operation, led by the Nigerian Army, was conducted in Tidibali Forest, located in the eastern part of the state.
Jan. 9: The Bauchi State Police Command rescued three children kidnapped in Bauchi in North-East but was sold in Anambra State, South-East. In Enugu, tension gripped the Enugu-Ezike community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State following the reported abduction of over 33 passengers, including three soldiers, by suspected herdsmen.
Jan. 10: A United Kingdom-based Nigerian, Ikechukwu Okeke, was kidnapped at his Amaokpala community in Orumba North Local Government Area of the Anambra State. He was abducted while returning home from the funeral service of his cousin.
Jan. 13: Akwa Ibom State Police Command declared one operative missing and two injured during a gun duel with suspected sea pirates dressed in military camouflage along the Oron-Calabar waterways corridor.
Jan. 14: Terrorists raided the Kankara General Hospital in Katsina State, abducting five persons and leaving a medical doctor with a gunshot injury.
Jan. 15: Armed men kidnapped Adekunle Raphael Ola, who hails from Ijumu Local Government Area Kogi State, on Jan. 15 around 8:00 pm at his residence in Iyara. According to the victim, who was rescued six days later, about seven AK47 armed kidnappers stormed his compound and forcefully entered his house, beat him and his wife, requested money, and subsequently took him away.
Jan. 17: The wife of retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Hakeem Odumosu was kidnapped from her residence in the Arepo area of Ogun State, South West Nigeria.
Jan. 20: No fewer than 16 people were kidnapped by hoodlums in the Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State. They were abducted after a crusade.
Jan. 21: A medical doctor with Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra state, Collinus Onuigbo, was kidnapped in front of his house while returning from work.
Also, a 25-year-old Faith Edu was abducted on Jan. 21 by one Michael Aboko, a.k.a ‘Father’, who brutalised her for a week until her rescue by the Anti Kidnapping Squad at about midnight at Edem Street Off Garden Street in Calabar South, Cross River State.
Jan. 24: Terrorists killed a 27-year-old man, Piti Ezekiel, and kidnapped five other persons at Rumaya Community in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. In separate attacks in the Kugauta and Kitanda communities of the same local government, 22 people were kidnapped.
The assailants invaded the communities around 10:30 p.m., shooting sporadically to scare residents before abducting 22 locals, mostly women and children.
Jan. 25: Kidnappers reportedly invaded a businessman’s residence in Garo town, Kabo Local Government Area of Kano State, and abducted his daughter, Zainab, after collecting ₦8 million from the family.
Jan. 27: A family of three was abducted in Chikakore, Bwari area council of the federal capital territory (FCT). Also, two other persons were abducted during the attack.
Jan. 28: Gunmen attacked a petrol station in Iseyin, Oyo State, killing one person and abducting another. The killers had reportedly targeted the station owner for abduction but did not find him on-site.
In another incident, terrorists reportedly shot dead one herder and abducted two others at the Dogon-Kurmi vast land, situated in Tafa Local Government Area (LGA) of Niger State.
Jan. 30: 24 people were reportedly kidnapped in a series of attacks on four communities in Shinkafi Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Jan. 31: The Niger State Police Command rescued a six-month-old baby who was kidnapped by her cousin and taken to the Federal Capital Territory to be sold. In Zamfara, terrorists raided Jangeru community and kidnapped two residents.
On the same day, armed men abducted the chairperson of the Abia State Independent Electoral Commission, George Chima. He was holding a meeting with some lecturers from Abia State University, Uturu, at his residence when the assailants, numbering about four, attacked him.
In January, at least 195 people were kidnapped across Nigeria, highlighting significant concerns about national security.
The incidents were varied, with many high-profile cases involving religious figures, medical professionals, and entire families, and were spread across multiple states including Anambra, Sokoto, Bauchi, Enugu, Kogi, Ogun, Kaduna, Kano, Abuja, Oyo, Niger, and Zamfara.
Many of these attacks were violent, often involving gunfire and sometimes resulting in fatalities. The kidnappers targeted diverse groups, from Catholic reverend sisters to a retired assistant inspector general's wife, showing a widespread societal impact. Security operatives managed rescues and arrests in some cases, but the persistent threat of abductions underscores a pressing need for improved safety measures and government intervention.
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