No fewer than 333 people have been kidnapped in some parts of the country within a period of six weeks.
According to findings by Sunday PUNCH, the various incidents occurred between February 26 and March 7, 2023.
A chronological report of the kidnappings indicates that gunmen and terrorists are responsible for the attack in Abuja, Lagos, Cross River, Niger, Taraba, Rivers, Delta, Edo, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Kano, Ondo, Adamawa, Ekiti, Ogun, Osun, Zamfara and Plateau states
A total sum of N7,288.000 ransom was also collected by the kidnappers.
For example, on Friday, reports said no fewer than 80 children were abducted by terrorists in the Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
BBC Hausa reported that the children were between 12 and 17 years.
As of Saturday evening, nothing had been heard from the abductors.
On Tuesday, February 28, a 16-year-old teenager, Lekan Mustapha, told an Akure Chief Magistrate Court, how he and his guardian used biscuits and magical rings to abduct nine innocent children for an Islamic clergy in Lagos State.
He confessed that his guardian had been using him for the kidnap business for Alfa who is based in lkorodu, Lagos State, using magical ring to get his victims.
On Friday, March 3, gunmen kidnapped two wives and a son of the chief of Sarkin Kudu, in Ibi LGA of Taraba State, Dansalama Adamu.
According to the report, the gunmen invaded the traditional ruler’s residence, but he was not at home during the incident.
The attack persisted on Sunday night, March 5, when kidnappers invaded the Goni-Gora community in Chikun Local government area of Kaduna State and kidnapped a pastor and five others.
In Delta State, a victim was rescued by operatives of the Delta State Police Command after he was kidnapped on Monday, March 6.
Also, no fewer than five people, including a pregnant woman, were reportedly killed, while 50 others were reportedly kidnapped by terrorists in the Rafi and Wushishi Local Government Areas of Niger State on Tuesday night, March 7.
On Tuesday, March 8, three persons were abducted by gunmen in Beji town of Bosso Local Government Area of Niger State.
According to reports, the gunmen entered the town and started shooting in the air around 1am, an action which lasted for over two hours.
Also, a woman and her two daughters were abducted from their home and taken to an unknown destination by the assailants while their male tenant who was abducted along with them later escaped by the whisker.
On Friday, March 10, nine residents were kidnapped by gunmen at the Grow Homes Estate along Kuchibiyi in the Kubuwa area of the Federal Capital Territory.
A resident of the community, who identified himself simply as Hassan, told Sunday PUNCH on the phone that the victims were captured from two separate apartments in the estate.
In the same vein, on Saturday, March 18, the Independent National Electoral Commission confirmed the kidnap of 19 members of its ad hoc staff while on their way to conduct the House of Assembly election in Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State.
INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner for Imo, Prof. Sylvia Agu disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Owerri.
On April 7, 2023, a former Nasarawa Deputy Governor, Professor Onje Gye-Wado, was kidnapped in Gwagi village, Wamba Local Government Area of the state.
In Lagos State, police discovered a kidnappers’ den in Ikorodu on April 6, 2023. One suspect was killed during a shootout with security operatives, while three victims were rescued.
On April 4, 2023, a 60-year-old man and his two sons were arrested by the Plateau State Police Command for criminal conspiracy, armed robbery and kidnapping.
An AK-47 rifle was recovered from them.
On April 3, 2023, eight students of the Government Secondary School, Awon in Kachia LGA and an unspecified number of residents in Kaduna State were kidnapped.
On April 2, 2023, two policemen were kidnapped at Ibbi Police Station in the Mashegu LGA of Niger State, two villagers killed and at least 32 others were kidnapped.
Two members of the Nasarawa village head’s family in Tsanyawa Local Government Area, Kano State were also kidnapped.
Again, on March 23, two suspected kidnappers were arrested by operatives of Niger State Police Command at Kure Market Park in Minna.
An 11-year-old comedian, Kamsiyo Sunday, popularly called Kamsi, was rescued by police in Enugu after he was abducted at Ukwu-Inyi, Ogrute in Enugu-Ezike community of Igbeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State in the morning of March 23, 2023.
He was rescued by police on the night of Monday, March 24, 2023.
It was reported that the abductors of two teenagers who were abducted in Ayede Ogbese in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State contacted the victims’ family and demanded N10m ransom.
On March 24, 2023, one suspect was arrested in Ogun State for kidnapping a journalist at Mobalufon area of Ijebu-Ode on March 9, 2023, a locally-made pistol and a live cartridge were recovered.
Similarly on March 25, 2023, a six-member kidnapping gang was arrested at Gegu Beki, along the Lokoja-Abuja Road and another 20-year-old kidnapper was also arrested at Fotta village in Gombi LGA, Adamawa State.
At the point of arrest, items such as one pump action rifle; four cartridges; one AK-47 empty shell and N11,030, one AK-47 rifle, one magazine and four rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition were separately recovered from the suspects.
On March 25, 2023, four residents of Kori-Oja in Obafemi-Owode LGA of Ogun State were kidnapped.
One of them was killed, while the other three were set free.
Before they were released, one of them paid over N100,000 while another one N88,000.
On the same day, a man and his wife were also abducted, but during a shootout between the kidnappers and a vigilante group, the wife got shot in the thigh, while a member of the vigilante group was killed.
Two suspected kidnappers were arrested on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, and two kidnapped victims were eventually rescued.
Also, the police in Niger State on March 25, 2023, said it arrested three suspects in the Gwagwalada area of FCT for kidnapping of two children in the Suleja Local Government Area of the state.
The two children and five others were eventually rescued.
On March 26, a farmer was abducted from his farm in Omu-Ekiti, Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
In Ogun State, on March 29, 2023, two suspected kidnappers were arrested, just as two victims were rescued from them and one hunter killed during a shootout with the kidnappers.
On March 31, 2023, a kidnap victim was rescued by the Osun State Police Command.
The rescued woman was among the abducted travellers of a commercial vehicle abducted at Ayepe Community along Osogbo-Ikirun road by gunmen.
