Society Editor
By Tolu Adesuwa Igiehon
Nigeria is once again trapped in the grip of a kidnapping wave that has left communities traumatised, security agencies overstretched and the Federal Government racing to secure the release of new victims while confronting fresh criticisms over its hostage-handling strategy. Within 48 hours, armed groups abducted at least 20 people across Kwara and Kano States, even as families were still recovering from earlier tragedies that saw worshippers and schoolchildren taken away in shocking nighttime raids.
The new abductions have reignited national panic and intensified debates over the Federal Government’s reliance on negotiation rather than force in dealing with hostage takers — an approach officials insist is aimed at preventing mass casualties.
Terror Returns to Kwara as Bandits Invade Isapa Community
Just days after 38 worshippers kidnapped inside a church in Eruku were released, terror returned to Kwara State on Monday evening when about 30 gunmen stormed Isapa community, a quiet agrarian settlement a few kilometres away. Residents described scenes of chaos as the intruders fired continuously while marching through the village with a herd of cattle.
By the time the smoke cleared, 10–11 persons, including a pregnant woman, nursing mothers and several children, had been taken away into the adjoining forest.
Homes riddled with bullets, shattered windows and empty AK-47 shells littering the ground painted a grim picture of the ferocity of the assault. “This is the worst attack we have seen,” a community elder revealed under anonymity. “Seven members of one family were taken. People don’t even sleep anymore.”
Security officials confirmed the attack and admitted that even with reinforcements deployed after earlier kidnappings, the vast forest stretching across Isapa, Eruku and neighbouring villages remains notoriously difficult to secure.
Police Commissioner Adekimi Ojo, who visited the scene on Tuesday, promised a sustained search-and-rescue mission but urged residents to remain vigilant. Joint patrols of tactical teams and local vigilantes have since been sweeping the bushes, hoping to track the fleeing gunmen before they relocate deeper into the forest.
The repeated assaults — three major attacks in under one month — have fuelled speculation that the bandits may be attempting to gradually establish territorial dominance in the area.
Tinubu Orders 24-Hour Surveillance as Panic Spreads
As news of the latest kidnappings filtered in, President Bola Tinubu issued an emergency directive, ordering the Nigerian Air Force to launch round-the-clock aerial surveillance across forest belts in Kwara, Kebbi and Niger States.
Presidential aide Sunday Dare explained that the President wants a “full security cordon” around vulnerable communities, insisting that intelligence showed that several hideouts in the region are now occupied by heavily armed gangs.
Communities have been told to report suspicious movements promptly, as security forces attempt to prevent further incursions.
Kano Night Attack: Ten Seized as Villagers Flee Gunmen on Foot
While Kwara was reeling, another wave of terror hit Kano State, where gunmen invaded the Biresawa and Tsundu communities in Tsanyawa Local Government Area on Monday night. Armed and moving on foot, the attackers abducted 10 persons, mostly women and teenage girls.
Kabiru Usman, whose wife and daughter were taken, said villagers tried to repel the attackers but were outgunned. What alarms residents even more is that they had earlier warned security operatives about the looming threat after sighting suspicious movements.
“We called the police and soldiers before the attack happened,” Usman lamented, “but by the time they arrived, the bandits had already disappeared.”
Local security sources say the area has recorded increased bandit activity in recent weeks, raising fears of a coordinated expansion of criminal networks into northern Kano.
Church Crusade Ends in Panic in Nasarawa
In Nasarawa State, fear swept through the Agboda community in Mararaba Udege after suspected bandits attacked a nearby settlement just as a church crusade was underway. A young man was reportedly stabbed and his motorcycle taken. Panic erupted instantly, forcing worshippers to flee in confusion.
Although police say the incident was not formally reported, community members argue that security presence in the region remains thin and that residents are increasingly afraid to farm, travel or gather in groups.
FG Defends Negotiation Strategy After Hostages Regain Freedom
The Federal Government confirmed Sunday that the 38 worshippers abducted from the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku regained their freedom after a non-kinetic intervention involving the DSS and the military. In an interview, presidential adviser Bayo Onanuga dismissed claims of ransom payment, insisting that security agencies simply opened communication lines with the abductors to avoid loss of innocent lives.
He argued that hostage takers often use victims as human shields, making direct military assaults too risky. “You don’t just attack when civilians are being used as buffers,” he explained. “We had to prevent collateral damage.”
According to him, the bandits eventually released the worshippers after warnings from the government and the fear of impending military action.
Kebbi Schoolgirls Freed After High-Level Pressure
Meanwhile, residents of Kebbi State celebrated the release of 24 schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga. The students were kidnapped from their hostel in the early hours of last week.
Governor Nasir Idris praised President Tinubu for deploying additional security resources and said the state would intensify protection around schools going forward. The girls are expected to undergo medical evaluation and trauma counselling before reuniting with their families.
President Tinubu also commended the security agencies but stressed that Nigeria must now increase boots on the ground to prevent repeat occurrences.
Experts Raise Alarm: “Rescue Without Accountability Is Dangerous”
Security experts have welcomed the safe return of hostages but warned that the absence of firm consequences for perpetrators could fuel more kidnappings.
Retired senior officers — including Brig Gen Peter Aro, CP Lawrence Alobi, AIG Wilson Inalegwu and Brig Gen George Emdin — offered mixed perspectives:
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Some argue that negotiation is sometimes necessary to save lives.
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Others insist that negotiating with criminals sets a dangerous precedent.
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Many warn that without decisive follow-up operations to dismantle the gangs, kidnappers will feel emboldened.
Alobi, a former FCT Commissioner of Police, was blunt:
“Negotiating with bandits empowers them. It becomes a business.”
Retired AIG Inalegwu added that while farmer–herder conflicts may be resolved through dialogue, ideological terrorists like ISWAP and Boko Haram must be confronted head-on.
Across board, experts agreed on one point: Nigeria lacks a strong, well-funded, technologically capable policing system — a gap criminals continue to exploit.
Nation on Edge as Kidnapping Threat Looms
From Kwara to Kano and Nasarawa, the sense of vulnerability is growing. Entire communities are suspending evening activities. Farmers fear returning to their lands. Parents worry that schools are no longer safe.
The Federal Government says it is intensifying surveillance, deepening intelligence and deploying tactical units. Yet as the attacks multiply, Nigerians are asking harder questions:
How long will negotiations work? Where are the consequences? And when will safety become more than a promise?
For now, the nation waits — hopeful, anxious and painfully aware that until the bandit networks are dismantled, the cycle of rescue and abduction may continue.
