“We don’t know if he is still alive or dead. The silence is worse than death itself.” These were the words of the family of Mr. Uchenna Okoro, who was kidnapped on March 10, 2025, along Enugu-Benue Road, which has now earned reputation for recurring incidents of abductions.
His family and Amanator community in Ebonyi State expressed disaappointment for the silence of the security agencies, noiting that, “If someone like Mr. Uchenna Okoro, a respectable businessman, can disappear without a trace, then none of us is safe. This Enugu–Benue road has become a bloody road.”
Mr Okoro, kidnapped in March, had not been seen in early October as of the time the family went public with its complaint against the Nigerian authorities.
Similarly, terrorists kidnapped and killed a Christian pastor after receiving N5 million in ransom, sources said. The Rev. James Audu Issa of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) in the Ekati area of Kwara state was found dead in the wilderness on October 2 after he was kidnapped from his home within ECWA premises in Ekati town, Patigi County, on August 28.
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His kidnappers initially demanded N100 million but the family said they could only afford to pay N5 million. They gunmen collected the money and yet killed the priest.
“This harmless pastor has been cut down, one among many, leaving his wife, children, extended family, church and friends in agony,” said The Rev. Romanus Ebeneokodi, spokesman of ECWA.
A family member described the act as “wicked and horrific,” blaming security agencies and the leadership of the nation for the priest’s untimely death.
“We can’t just continue like this as a nation. The government has to wake up and save peoplemfrom those who have captured this nation,” an anonymous family member lamented.
There are several stories of Nigerians kidnapped or abuducted and eventually killed without any intervention by security agencies. In July, terrorists killed at least 38 people from a village in northern Zamfara State after receiving ransoms. Local Government Chairman, Mr Manniru Haidara Kaura, said those killed were mostly young people, revealing that 56 people had been taken from Kauran Namoda village in March and murdered in July. The kidnappers had demanded N1 million for each captive but released only 18 persons.
“Our lives are in the hands of Allah,” a family member of one of the victims said. “We no longer rely on the government and security agsncies to protect us.”
Ifesinachi Onyekere, also known as ‘Fish Magnet,’ once wanted to slash the price of fish in the South-East Nigeria. He planned to make fish available to as many Nigerian households as possible. Perhaps, his biggest mistake was revealing his intention on social media.
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Eye witnesses said the kidnappers invaded his residence in Ezinifite community, Okpuno, Awka South LGA of Anambra State, and whisked him away in July.
“He was in captivity for three days until a ransom was paid, but instead of setting him free, they ended his life. He was later found lifeless by the roadside this morning. He was young, hardworking, full of promise, known for his passion and thriving fish business,” a source told Punch.
A family member said she was “confused that Ifesinachi’s life had been cut short in such a short time. He did not offend anybody. His only crime was that he was hardworking and kind.”
Kebbi State abduction
On Monday, gunmen kidnapped 25 female students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Kebbi State, shooting the principal and killing his vice.
The late-night attack left the vice principal, Mr Hassan Yakubu Makuku, dead after he reportedly tried shielding the students from the attackers. “It is a heartbreaking tragedy that has thrown the entire region into deep fear and mourning,” said a resident, Ms Murjanatu Hassan Gishiri, who confirmed the incident.
The rising kidnap industry
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released a crime report on December 17, 2024, which it later removed from its website days after the reported invitation of its Chief Executive Officer, Mr Adeyemi Adeniran, by the State Security Service (SSS).
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But the report had disclosed that Nigerians paid an estimated N2.3 trillion as ransom between May 2023 and April 2024, noting that 65 percent of households affected by kidnapping had to pay ransoms to secure the release of victims. On average, each household paid N2.67 million per incident.
The report further revealed that 51,887,032 crime incidences were experienced by households, with the North-West having 14,402,254 reported cases – highest in the country at the time.
“President Bola Tinubu has to change his security strategy because it is not working,” said a social security expert, Dr Ben Agbese. “The duty of the government is to secure the people. Any government that can’t perform this role has failed.”
