TWO weeks on, Nigerians are still celebrating the rescue of 46 pupils, teachers and other school personnel abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. However, this should not become another fleeting moment of relief before the country resigns itself to the next tragedy. If anything, the horrifying episode should serve as a watershed in Nigeria’s battle against mass abductions.Kidnapped on May 15 in what has been described as one of the largest school kidnappings in southern Nigeria this year, their eventual rescue, after a painstaking operation involving military special forces and other security agencies, was commendable.Sadly, the success came at a heavy price, with a police inspector, Jerome Abena, losing his life during the operation. An army officer, Lieutenant Felix Issac, was killed earlier in a firefight before the actual rescue operation. Beyond the jubilation, no Nigerian child or teacher should have to endure such an ordeal in the first place.The accounts given by the rescued victims, including the school principal, Rachael Alamu, expose the horrifying reality of life in the hands of kidnappers. For 56 days, they were forced to trek for hours through dense forests, including the Old Oyo National Park, while being moved constantly to evade security forces.They slept in the open, exposed to torrential rain and scorching sun. Adult male captives were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained throughout much of their captivity.The youngest pupils were repeatedly beaten whenever they cried or made noise because the kidnappers feared attracting security attention.Even more disturbing was the revelation that two male teachers were taken away by the abductors and murdered in captivity.These are not merely isolated acts of criminality. They are symptoms of a deepening national security crisis that continues to erode public confidence in the state’s capacity to protect lives and property.Unfortunately, the Oriire incident is far from an isolated case. Rather, it is part of an alarming pattern of mass kidnappings that has spread across Nigeria.On the same day of the Oriire incident, terrorists also abducted 42 pupils in Borno State.On January 18, gunmen attacked three churches in Kaduna State during Sunday worship and abducted more than 160 worshippers. Many of the victims spent weeks in captivity before being released in batches.In April, armed men abducted 23 pupils from an illegal orphanage in Lokoja, Kogi State. Barely weeks later, another school in Borno was attacked during examinations, with dozens of students abducted. Although eight victims were subsequently rescued, more than 30 reportedly remain in captivity.According to Amnesty International, more than 1,100 people were abducted across northern Nigeria between January and early April 2026 alone. The organisation attributed the surge to the increasing attacks on villages, schools, churches and travellers.Similarly, the latest data from Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database revealed that 279 persons were kidnapped across the country in May 2026. Within the same period, Nigeria recorded 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths.Related NewsTroops rescue three kidnap victims, arrest six terrorist logistics suppliersState police push: Reps receive report, set stage for debateStop renewed killings in Benue, Plateau!Such figures should provoke national outrage. Instead, kidnappings have become so frequent that each new incident barely sustains public attention before another occurs elsewhere.This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. Kidnapped on May 15 in what has been described as one of the largest school kidnappings in southern Nigeria this year, their eventual rescue, after a painstaking operation involving military special forces and other security agencies, was commendable.Sadly, the success came at a heavy price, with a police inspector, Jerome Abena, losing his life during the operation. An army officer, Lieutenant Felix Issac, was killed earlier in a firefight before the actual rescue operation. Beyond the jubilation, no Nigerian child or teacher should have to endure such an ordeal in the first place.The accounts given by the rescued victims, including the school principal, Rachael Alamu, expose the horrifying reality of life in the hands of kidnappers. For 56 days, they were forced to trek for hours through dense forests, including the Old Oyo National Park, while being moved constantly to evade security forces.They slept in the open, exposed to torrential rain and scorching sun. Adult male captives were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained throughout much of their captivity.The youngest pupils were repeatedly beaten whenever they cried or made noise because the kidnappers feared attracting security attention.Even more disturbing was the revelation that two male teachers were taken away by the abductors and murdered in captivity.These are not merely isolated acts of criminality. They are symptoms of a deepening national security crisis that continues to erode public confidence in the state’s capacity to protect lives and property.Unfortunately, the Oriire incident is far from an isolated case. Rather, it is part of an alarming pattern of mass kidnappings that has spread across Nigeria.On the same day of the Oriire incident, terrorists also abducted 42 pupils in Borno State.On January 18, gunmen attacked three churches in Kaduna State during Sunday worship and abducted more than 160 worshippers. Many of the victims spent weeks in captivity before being released in batches.In April, armed men abducted 23 pupils from an illegal orphanage in Lokoja, Kogi State. Barely weeks later, another school in Borno was attacked during examinations, with dozens of students abducted. Although eight victims were subsequently rescued, more than 30 reportedly remain in captivity.According to Amnesty International, more than 1,100 people were abducted across northern Nigeria between January and early April 2026 alone. The organisation attributed the surge to the increasing attacks on villages, schools, churches and travellers.Similarly, the latest data from Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database revealed that 279 persons were kidnapped across the country in May 2026. Within the same period, Nigeria recorded 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths.Related NewsTroops rescue three kidnap victims, arrest six terrorist logistics suppliersState police push: Reps receive report, set stage for debateStop renewed killings in Benue, Plateau!Such figures should provoke national outrage. Instead, kidnappings have become so frequent that each new incident barely sustains public attention before another occurs elsewhere.This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. Sadly, the success came at a heavy price, with a police inspector, Jerome Abena, losing his life during the operation. An army officer, Lieutenant Felix Issac, was killed earlier in a firefight before the actual rescue operation. Beyond the jubilation, no Nigerian child or teacher should have to endure such an ordeal in the first place.The accounts given by the rescued victims, including the school principal, Rachael Alamu, expose the horrifying reality of life in the hands of kidnappers. For 56 days, they were forced to trek for hours through dense forests, including the Old Oyo National Park, while being moved constantly to evade security forces.They slept in the open, exposed to torrential rain and scorching sun. Adult male captives were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained throughout much of their captivity.The youngest pupils were repeatedly beaten whenever they cried or made noise because the kidnappers feared attracting security attention.Even more disturbing was the revelation that two male teachers were taken away by the abductors and murdered in captivity.These are not merely isolated acts of criminality. They are symptoms of a deepening national security crisis that continues to erode public confidence in the state’s capacity to protect lives and property.Unfortunately, the Oriire incident is far from an isolated case. Rather, it is part of an alarming pattern of mass kidnappings that has spread across Nigeria.On the same day of the Oriire incident, terrorists also abducted 42 pupils in Borno State.On January 18, gunmen attacked three churches in Kaduna State during Sunday worship and abducted more than 160 worshippers. Many of the victims spent weeks in captivity before being released in batches.In April, armed men abducted 23 pupils from an illegal orphanage in Lokoja, Kogi State. Barely weeks later, another school in Borno was attacked during examinations, with dozens of students abducted. Although eight victims were subsequently rescued, more than 30 reportedly remain in captivity.According to Amnesty International, more than 1,100 people were abducted across northern Nigeria between January and early April 2026 alone. The organisation attributed the surge to the increasing attacks on villages, schools, churches and travellers.Similarly, the latest data from Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database revealed that 279 persons were kidnapped across the country in May 2026. Within the same period, Nigeria recorded 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths.Related NewsTroops rescue three kidnap victims, arrest six terrorist logistics suppliersState police push: Reps receive report, set stage for debateStop renewed killings in Benue, Plateau!Such figures should provoke national outrage. Instead, kidnappings have become so frequent that each new incident barely sustains public attention before another occurs elsewhere.This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. The accounts given by the rescued victims, including the school principal, Rachael Alamu, expose the horrifying reality of life in the hands of kidnappers. For 56 days, they were forced to trek for hours through dense forests, including the Old Oyo National Park, while being moved constantly to evade security forces.They slept in the open, exposed to torrential rain and scorching sun. Adult male captives were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained throughout much of their captivity.The youngest pupils were repeatedly beaten whenever they cried or made noise because the kidnappers feared attracting security attention.Even more disturbing was the revelation that two male teachers were taken away by the abductors and murdered in captivity.These are not merely isolated acts of criminality. They are symptoms of a deepening national security crisis that continues to erode public confidence in the state’s capacity to protect lives and property.Unfortunately, the Oriire incident is far from an isolated case. Rather, it is part of an alarming pattern of mass kidnappings that has spread across Nigeria.On the same day of the Oriire incident, terrorists also abducted 42 pupils in Borno State.On January 18, gunmen attacked three churches in Kaduna State during Sunday worship and abducted more than 160 worshippers. Many of the victims spent weeks in captivity before being released in batches.In April, armed men abducted 23 pupils from an illegal orphanage in Lokoja, Kogi State. Barely weeks later, another school in Borno was attacked during examinations, with dozens of students abducted. Although eight victims were subsequently rescued, more than 30 reportedly remain in captivity.According to Amnesty International, more than 1,100 people were abducted across northern Nigeria between January and early April 2026 alone. The organisation attributed the surge to the increasing attacks on villages, schools, churches and travellers.Similarly, the latest data from Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database revealed that 279 persons were kidnapped across the country in May 2026. Within the same period, Nigeria recorded 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths.Related NewsTroops rescue three kidnap victims, arrest six terrorist logistics suppliersState police push: Reps receive report, set stage for debateStop renewed killings in Benue, Plateau!Such figures should provoke national outrage. Instead, kidnappings have become so frequent that each new incident barely sustains public attention before another occurs elsewhere.This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. They slept in the open, exposed to torrential rain and scorching sun. Adult male captives were blindfolded, handcuffed and chained throughout much of their captivity.The youngest pupils were repeatedly beaten whenever they cried or made noise because the kidnappers feared attracting security attention.Even more disturbing was the revelation that two male teachers were taken away by the abductors and murdered in captivity.These are not merely isolated acts of criminality. They are symptoms of a deepening national security crisis that continues to erode public confidence in the state’s capacity to protect lives and property.Unfortunately, the Oriire incident is far from an isolated case. Rather, it is part of an alarming pattern of mass kidnappings that has spread across Nigeria.On the same day of the Oriire incident, terrorists also abducted 42 pupils in Borno State.On January 18, gunmen attacked three churches in Kaduna State during Sunday worship and abducted more than 160 worshippers. Many of the victims spent weeks in captivity before being released in batches.In April, armed men abducted 23 pupils from an illegal orphanage in Lokoja, Kogi State. Barely weeks later, another school in Borno was attacked during examinations, with dozens of students abducted. Although eight victims were subsequently rescued, more than 30 reportedly remain in captivity.According to Amnesty International, more than 1,100 people were abducted across northern Nigeria between January and early April 2026 alone. The organisation attributed the surge to the increasing attacks on villages, schools, churches and travellers.Similarly, the latest data from Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database revealed that 279 persons were kidnapped across the country in May 2026. Within the same period, Nigeria recorded 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths.Related NewsTroops rescue three kidnap victims, arrest six terrorist logistics suppliersState police push: Reps receive report, set stage for debateStop renewed killings in Benue, Plateau!Such figures should provoke national outrage. Instead, kidnappings have become so frequent that each new incident barely sustains public attention before another occurs elsewhere.This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. The youngest pupils were repeatedly beaten whenever they cried or made noise because the kidnappers feared attracting security attention.Even more disturbing was the revelation that two male teachers were taken away by the abductors and murdered in captivity.These are not merely isolated acts of criminality. They are symptoms of a deepening national security crisis that continues to erode public confidence in the state’s capacity to protect lives and property.Unfortunately, the Oriire incident is far from an isolated case. Rather, it is part of an alarming pattern of mass kidnappings that has spread across Nigeria.On the same day of the Oriire incident, terrorists also abducted 42 pupils in Borno State.On January 18, gunmen attacked three churches in Kaduna State during Sunday worship and abducted more than 160 worshippers. Many of the victims spent weeks in captivity before being released in batches.In April, armed men abducted 23 pupils from an illegal orphanage in Lokoja, Kogi State. Barely weeks later, another school in Borno was attacked during examinations, with dozens of students abducted. Although eight victims were subsequently rescued, more than 30 reportedly remain in captivity.According to Amnesty International, more than 1,100 people were abducted across northern Nigeria between January and early April 2026 alone. The organisation attributed the surge to the increasing attacks on villages, schools, churches and travellers.Similarly, the latest data from Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database revealed that 279 persons were kidnapped across the country in May 2026. Within the same period, Nigeria recorded 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths.Related NewsTroops rescue three kidnap victims, arrest six terrorist logistics suppliersState police push: Reps receive report, set stage for debateStop renewed killings in Benue, Plateau!Such figures should provoke national outrage. Instead, kidnappings have become so frequent that each new incident barely sustains public attention before another occurs elsewhere.This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. Even more disturbing was the revelation that two male teachers were taken away by the abductors and murdered in captivity.These are not merely isolated acts of criminality. They are symptoms of a deepening national security crisis that continues to erode public confidence in the state’s capacity to protect lives and property.Unfortunately, the Oriire incident is far from an isolated case. Rather, it is part of an alarming pattern of mass kidnappings that has spread across Nigeria.On the same day of the Oriire incident, terrorists also abducted 42 pupils in Borno State.On January 18, gunmen attacked three churches in Kaduna State during Sunday worship and abducted more than 160 worshippers. Many of the victims spent weeks in captivity before being released in batches.In April, armed men abducted 23 pupils from an illegal orphanage in Lokoja, Kogi State. Barely weeks later, another school in Borno was attacked during examinations, with dozens of students abducted. Although eight victims were subsequently rescued, more than 30 reportedly remain in captivity.According to Amnesty International, more than 1,100 people were abducted across northern Nigeria between January and early April 2026 alone. The organisation attributed the surge to the increasing attacks on villages, schools, churches and travellers.Similarly, the latest data from Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database revealed that 279 persons were kidnapped across the country in May 2026. Within the same period, Nigeria recorded 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths.Related NewsTroops rescue three kidnap victims, arrest six terrorist logistics suppliersState police push: Reps receive report, set stage for debateStop renewed killings in Benue, Plateau!Such figures should provoke national outrage. Instead, kidnappings have become so frequent that each new incident barely sustains public attention before another occurs elsewhere.This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. These are not merely isolated acts of criminality. They are symptoms of a deepening national security crisis that continues to erode public confidence in the state’s capacity to protect lives and property.Unfortunately, the Oriire incident is far from an isolated case. Rather, it is part of an alarming pattern of mass kidnappings that has spread across Nigeria.On the same day of the Oriire incident, terrorists also abducted 42 pupils in Borno State.On January 18, gunmen attacked three churches in Kaduna State during Sunday worship and abducted more than 160 worshippers. Many of the victims spent weeks in captivity before being released in batches.In April, armed men abducted 23 pupils from an illegal orphanage in Lokoja, Kogi State. Barely weeks later, another school in Borno was attacked during examinations, with dozens of students abducted. Although eight victims were subsequently rescued, more than 30 reportedly remain in captivity.According to Amnesty International, more than 1,100 people were abducted across northern Nigeria between January and early April 2026 alone. The organisation attributed the surge to the increasing attacks on villages, schools, churches and travellers.Similarly, the latest data from Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database revealed that 279 persons were kidnapped across the country in May 2026. Within the same period, Nigeria recorded 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths.Related NewsTroops rescue three kidnap victims, arrest six terrorist logistics suppliersState police push: Reps receive report, set stage for debateStop renewed killings in Benue, Plateau!Such figures should provoke national outrage. Instead, kidnappings have become so frequent that each new incident barely sustains public attention before another occurs elsewhere.This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. Unfortunately, the Oriire incident is far from an isolated case. Rather, it is part of an alarming pattern of mass kidnappings that has spread across Nigeria.On the same day of the Oriire incident, terrorists also abducted 42 pupils in Borno State.On January 18, gunmen attacked three churches in Kaduna State during Sunday worship and abducted more than 160 worshippers. Many of the victims spent weeks in captivity before being released in batches.In April, armed men abducted 23 pupils from an illegal orphanage in Lokoja, Kogi State. Barely weeks later, another school in Borno was attacked during examinations, with dozens of students abducted. Although eight victims were subsequently rescued, more than 30 reportedly remain in captivity.According to Amnesty International, more than 1,100 people were abducted across northern Nigeria between January and early April 2026 alone. The organisation attributed the surge to the increasing attacks on villages, schools, churches and travellers.Similarly, the latest data from Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database revealed that 279 persons were kidnapped across the country in May 2026. Within the same period, Nigeria recorded 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths.Related NewsTroops rescue three kidnap victims, arrest six terrorist logistics suppliersState police push: Reps receive report, set stage for debateStop renewed killings in Benue, Plateau!Such figures should provoke national outrage. Instead, kidnappings have become so frequent that each new incident barely sustains public attention before another occurs elsewhere.This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. On the same day of the Oriire incident, terrorists also abducted 42 pupils in Borno State.On January 18, gunmen attacked three churches in Kaduna State during Sunday worship and abducted more than 160 worshippers. Many of the victims spent weeks in captivity before being released in batches.In April, armed men abducted 23 pupils from an illegal orphanage in Lokoja, Kogi State. Barely weeks later, another school in Borno was attacked during examinations, with dozens of students abducted. Although eight victims were subsequently rescued, more than 30 reportedly remain in captivity.According to Amnesty International, more than 1,100 people were abducted across northern Nigeria between January and early April 2026 alone. The organisation attributed the surge to the increasing attacks on villages, schools, churches and travellers.Similarly, the latest data from Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database revealed that 279 persons were kidnapped across the country in May 2026. Within the same period, Nigeria recorded 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths.Related NewsTroops rescue three kidnap victims, arrest six terrorist logistics suppliersState police push: Reps receive report, set stage for debateStop renewed killings in Benue, Plateau!Such figures should provoke national outrage. Instead, kidnappings have become so frequent that each new incident barely sustains public attention before another occurs elsewhere.This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. On January 18, gunmen attacked three churches in Kaduna State during Sunday worship and abducted more than 160 worshippers. Many of the victims spent weeks in captivity before being released in batches.In April, armed men abducted 23 pupils from an illegal orphanage in Lokoja, Kogi State. Barely weeks later, another school in Borno was attacked during examinations, with dozens of students abducted. Although eight victims were subsequently rescued, more than 30 reportedly remain in captivity.According to Amnesty International, more than 1,100 people were abducted across northern Nigeria between January and early April 2026 alone. The organisation attributed the surge to the increasing attacks on villages, schools, churches and travellers.Similarly, the latest data from Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database revealed that 279 persons were kidnapped across the country in May 2026. Within the same period, Nigeria recorded 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths.Related NewsTroops rescue three kidnap victims, arrest six terrorist logistics suppliersState police push: Reps receive report, set stage for debateStop renewed killings in Benue, Plateau!Such figures should provoke national outrage. Instead, kidnappings have become so frequent that each new incident barely sustains public attention before another occurs elsewhere.This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. In April, armed men abducted 23 pupils from an illegal orphanage in Lokoja, Kogi State. Barely weeks later, another school in Borno was attacked during examinations, with dozens of students abducted. Although eight victims were subsequently rescued, more than 30 reportedly remain in captivity.According to Amnesty International, more than 1,100 people were abducted across northern Nigeria between January and early April 2026 alone. The organisation attributed the surge to the increasing attacks on villages, schools, churches and travellers.Similarly, the latest data from Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database revealed that 279 persons were kidnapped across the country in May 2026. Within the same period, Nigeria recorded 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths.Related NewsTroops rescue three kidnap victims, arrest six terrorist logistics suppliersState police push: Reps receive report, set stage for debateStop renewed killings in Benue, Plateau!Such figures should provoke national outrage. Instead, kidnappings have become so frequent that each new incident barely sustains public attention before another occurs elsewhere.This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. According to Amnesty International, more than 1,100 people were abducted across northern Nigeria between January and early April 2026 alone. The organisation attributed the surge to the increasing attacks on villages, schools, churches and travellers.Similarly, the latest data from Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database revealed that 279 persons were kidnapped across the country in May 2026. Within the same period, Nigeria recorded 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths.Related NewsTroops rescue three kidnap victims, arrest six terrorist logistics suppliersState police push: Reps receive report, set stage for debateStop renewed killings in Benue, Plateau!Such figures should provoke national outrage. Instead, kidnappings have become so frequent that each new incident barely sustains public attention before another occurs elsewhere.This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. Similarly, the latest data from Nextier’s Nigeria Violent Conflicts Database revealed that 279 persons were kidnapped across the country in May 2026. Within the same period, Nigeria recorded 156 violent incidents that resulted in 842 deaths.Related NewsTroops rescue three kidnap victims, arrest six terrorist logistics suppliersState police push: Reps receive report, set stage for debateStop renewed killings in Benue, Plateau!Such figures should provoke national outrage. Instead, kidnappings have become so frequent that each new incident barely sustains public attention before another occurs elsewhere.This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. Such figures should provoke national outrage. Instead, kidnappings have become so frequent that each new incident barely sustains public attention before another occurs elsewhere.This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. This dangerous normalisation of mass abductions reflects the gradual erosion of the state’s monopoly over the use of force and its constitutional responsibility to guarantee citizens’ security.Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. Nigeria suffered its first mass school kidnapping in April 2014. Boko Haram audaciously stole 276 at the Government Day Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State. About 100 of those girls have yet to be rescued.In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. In February 2018, ISWAP insurgents took 112 girls from a secondary school in Dapchi, Yobe State. Although they have been rescued, Leah Sharibu remains with the terrorists because she refused to renounce her Christian faith.It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. It is therefore unsurprising that Nigeria continues to fare poorly on global measures of state stability.The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. The Fragile States Index 2025, published by the Fund for Peace, ranks Nigeria 15th out of 179 countries on the list of the world’s most fragile states. With an overall score of 96.6, the country remains in the “Alert” category, reserved for countries facing severe governance, security, economic and social pressures.Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. Perhaps the most sobering comparison is with Colombia. During the 1980s and early 1990s, when Pablo Escobar and the Medellín Cartel unleashed widespread violence and kidnappings, Colombia became synonymous with organised criminality.Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. Yet, through sustained security reforms, stronger institutions, intelligence-driven policing and determined political commitment, the country has significantly improved its security profile. Today, Colombia ranks 50th on the Fragile States Index, with a score of approximately 72.7, placing it in the less severe “Warning” category.Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. Nigeria must draw important lessons from that experience. The Federal Government must treat mass kidnapping as an existential national emergency.Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. Intelligence gathering must improve dramatically, while forested hideouts and criminal enclaves should be systematically dismantled through coordinated military, police and intelligence operations.States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. States must strengthen community policing structures and local intelligence networks that are capable of detecting suspicious movements before attacks occur.Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. Schools, especially in vulnerable communities, should have enforceable security protocols backed by rapid-response mechanisms rather than mere advisory guidelines.Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise. Equally important, those financing, facilitating or profiting from kidnapping enterprises must face swift prosecution. The impunity enjoyed by many kidnappers and their collaborators only emboldens others to embrace kidnapping as a lucrative criminal enterprise.